Andrew Tate, a hugely successful social media influencer known for expressing misogynistic views online, is facing a new lawsuit filed by his ex-girlfriend accusing him of sexual assault and battery.
It adds to existing legal trouble for Tate, who’s charged with human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women in Romania. His brother, Tristan Tate, is also accused in that case.
In her complaint, Tate’s ex-girlfriend, Brianna Stern, argues that his abusive treatment of her follows a long pattern of making blatant misogyny part of his brand. She said he initially acted effusively loving and generous to lure her into a relationship that later turned abusive.
The lawsuit, which was filed Thursday in Los Angeles, details an encounter earlier this month at the Beverly Hills Hotel when Tate choked and beat her, according to the complaint. Stern said she was later diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome.
Tate’s attorney, Joseph McBride, said his client denies all allegations of violence. McBride accused Stern and her lawyers of taking advantage of the recent controversy surrounding Tate, hoping it could win them a lucrative payout.
“This is a money grab,” McBride said in a phone interview Saturday morning. “This is the weaponization of the court system against an innocent man.”
The Associated Press typically does not identify people who say they are the victims of sexual abuse unless they come forward publicly with their story, as Stern has done.
The Tate brothers, who are dual U.S. and British citizens, were arrested in Romania in late 2022 and formally indicted last year. Andrew Tate was also charged with rape. They deny all the allegations against them.
Stern met Tate in July 2024 after the brothers invited her to Romania because they were looking for models to help promote their cryptocurrency meme coin, according to her lawsuit. She said he convinced her the media portrayals of him were untrue, that he was actually a supporter of women. It seemed like “a dream come true,” she said in the complaint.
After she returned to the U.S., Tate’s communications became threatening and manipulative, including calling her his “property,” Stern alleges. He sent messages saying he wanted to beat and impregnate her: “You have an attitude because you’re not hit enough,” he once wrote, according to the complaint.
Tate’s attorney, however, called the messages “doctored, edited and falsified,” saying he doesn’t believe they’ll be admissible in court.
“None of it is true,” McBride said. “All of it is a lie.”
During their last encounter at the hotel, Stern alleges, Tate beat and choked her during sex.
“While doing so, Tate told her repeatedly that if she ever crossed him, he was going to kill her,” the lawsuit says.
