(RightWing.org) – Controversial social media influencer and former martial artist Andrew Tate is under house arrest in Romania, but he’s still trying to build his media profile. Recently he gave an interview with the BBC. Now both Tate and the broadcaster are facing serious criticism.
Tate, a 36-year-old US-born former kickboxer, was arrested in Romania last December on human trafficking and organized crime charges. Prosecutors say he, his brother Tristan and two other men forced six women to take part in pornographic videos. One of them has also been accused of rape, but under Romanian law they’re not releasing his name. In April, he was released to house arrest, and he’s likely to face trial within weeks. On June 1, BBC reporter Lucy Williamson interviewed him at his home — and it didn’t go well for either of them.
Unsurprisingly, WiIlliamson focused on the allegations against Tate. Tate obviously didn’t appreciate that, and consistently denied them throughout the interview. The discussion quickly turned hostile, with Williamson accusing Tate of denying having made various statements and Tate aggressively claiming a key witness against him was invented by the BBC.
One of his accusers has spoken to the BBC and other media outlets, using the pseudonym “Sophie” to preserve her anonymity. Tate insisted at least four times that “Sophie” doesn’t actually exist. Eventually he told Williamson she had no authority and he was doing her a favor. He also accused her of talking “absolute garbage.”
The BBC is now facing intense criticism for speaking to Tate. The Tab described the interview as “cringe inducing,” while many social media users objected to Tate being given a platform because of the charges against him. Tate was slammed as a “vile misogynist” and accused of having a “grotesque ideology.” Another complained about having to pay the BBC’s controversial TV license fee for “this sh*t.” The BBC is defending the interview by claiming Tate is “a matter of public influence,” but it looks like the interview hasn’t done much for the reputations of either Tate or the broadcaster.
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