How Andrew Tate Went From Sports Star To A Dangerous Internet Idol For Young Men
He's all over the internet.
If you’re an avid TikTok user, you’ve probably seen Andrew Tate or at least heard the name.
The former professional kickboxer and internet sensation is going viral, but not for the reasons you may think.
In fact, Tate's recent rise to infamy is causing enormous controversy online as viewers fear his impact.
Why is Andrew Tate famous?
Emory-Andrew Tate III is a British-American kickboxer who has gained notereity for his controversial, often misogynistic statements online.
He has gained a lot attention these last few weeks, but not because of his successful kickboxing career or the foundation of his own online course that has generated millions of dollar.
RELATED: What Actually Happened To The Men Accused In #MeToo
Tate’s controversial statements about women and sexual assault on social media platforms and various podcasts are what he is most known for in recent times, and it is landing him in hot water.
The 35-year-old began his career in the early 2000s when he made a name for himself in MMA by becoming a world champion in both lightweight and heavyweight championships, winning in 2009 and 2013.
He also took home multiple ISKA (International Sport Karate Association) Trophies.
While reflecting on kickboxing in a podcast episode of “The Fellas,” Tate challenged YouTube boxer, Jake Paul.
“I’d love to kick the f–k out of that guy because I love to fight,” he said.
In addition to his kickboxing career, Tate founded an online course known as “Hustler’s University,” which offers lessons teaching men how to achieve financial success and how to impress women.
"I grew up broke and now I am a multi millionaire. I teach the deserving the secrets to modern wealth creation,” his website reads.
Tate also got involved in the webcam business and the adult entertainment industry, which brought in a fortune for him.
At one point, he claimed to have 75 women working for him in 4 locations, earning him $600,000 a month.
He got booted from Big Brother after a disturbing video.
In 2016, Tate appeared on the famous reality show “Big Brother” in the UK.
However, his appearance was cut short after a video surfaced on the Internet depicting him beating his ex-girlfriend with a belt.
He took to social media to claim to viewers that the video was staged.
RELATED: What All Politicians Could Learn From Florida Congressional Candidate Going Viral On TikTok
“It’s a felt belt so makes noise but doesn’t hurt,” Tate posted to his Twitter following his eviction from the show.
“They cut out all the sound cause she’s LAUGHING in the video," he said. "And the cut of the end of the video where she gets the belt and hits me back while we’re both laughing. What bulls–-t!”
He's known for controversial views on sexual assault.
In 2017, the multi-millionaire moved to Romania, but his statements surrounding why he made the trek to Eastern Europe raised eyebrows.
In a now-deleted video from Tate’s Youtube channel, he explains that it is easier to get off on rape charges and that it is “40% of the reason I moved to Romania.”
Tate’s decision to move around the same time as the #MeToo era had many questioning his past and if he was guilty of assaulting women and wished to avoid the consequences.
Tate’s controversial statements regarding the #MeToo movement resulted in him being banned from Twitter in 2017.
In one of his deleted tweets, many called him out for victim-blaming.
"If you put yourself in a position to be raped, you must bare [sic] some responsibility... with sexual assault they want to put zero blame on the victim whatsoever,” he tweeted.
He is currently being investigated for human trafficking.
In April 2022, The Daily Beast reported that Tate is under investigation in Romania after a police raid on his home that began after a woman was reported to be held at the house against her will.
No arrests or charges have been brought in the investigation.
On their podcast, Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate, joked about the matter and claimed the boyfriend of a woman who was attending one of their parties called the police because she claimed they, "wouldn't let her leave."
"She wasn't even hot, she was ugly," Tristan added.
Tate’s most recent controversy happened during an appearance on Adin Ross’s Twitch stream.
He made several comments objectifying women, including how letting one of his five girlfriends go alone to a bar would be equivalent to “parking your car in a place where it can get stolen.”
He also asked, “how are women allowed to drive?” when recalling an incident where he watched a woman crash a car while making a U-Turn, enforcing sexist stereotypes against women’s driving skills.
Tate also appeared on an episode of the BFFs podcast, where he stated that it was okay to have multiple partners as a man, but a woman should not have multiple partners.
“Read the Bible, every single man had multiple wives, not a single woman had multiple husbands. It’s against the will of God — it’s disgusting,” Tate said.
Tate has received a lot backlash from social media users over his misogynistic, sexist comments against women, but his messages continue to spread.
“THIS is the type of man that got roe overturned,” one TikToker commented.
Others believe that Tate is simply carrying on his remarks for shock value.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.