Romanian authorities have detained influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan under a human trafficking, rape and organised crime investigation. The dramatic lead up to his arrest sounds like something out of a fever dream, and has the internet on the edge of its seat.
On 27 December, the controversial online personality tweeted at climate activist Greta Thunberg showing off his collection of 33 cars and the massive carbon emissions they create. He asked her to send him her email address so he could provide her the complete list.
Hello @GretaThunberg
I have 33 cars.
My Bugatti has a w16 8.0L quad turbo.
My TWO Ferrari 812 competizione have 6.5L v12s.
This is just the start.
Please provide your email address so I can send a complete list of my car collection and their respective enormous emissions. pic.twitter.com/ehhOBDQyYU
— Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) December 27, 2022
Thunberg, who has never been one to back down, shot back with a few choice words of her own.
yes, please do enlighten me. email me at smalldickenergy@getalife.com https://t.co/V8geeVvEvg
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) December 28, 2022
Twitter exploded with support for her, which led to a few more tweets from Andrew Tate and his army of fans which were in terrible taste.
She ain’t ready. https://t.co/9YaDhmXT6W
— Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) December 28, 2022
Eventually, he posted a video responding to Greta – in which he made one mistake that might have sent the dominoes of his downfall cascading rapidly. In the video, he is seen with pizza boxes from a local restaurant. Many believe that this could have given away his location to the police, resulting in his subsequent arrest only 24 hours later. Although the theory is entirely unconfirmed and pretty unlikely, it has led to some interesting takes from those tuned into the mess.
Thank you for confirming via your email address that you have a small penis @GretaThunberg
The world was curious.
And I do agree you should get a life ❤️ https://t.co/mHmiKHjDGH pic.twitter.com/SMisajQRcf
— Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) December 28, 2022
The entire debacle has taken social media by storm. Many users seem to think Andrew Tate is finally paying his dues. He used to be a professional kickboxer, and later rose to fame by voicing his controversial, often anti-feminist opinions on various online platforms. His views have invited heavy criticism from many, but also staunch support from certain groups of people. Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Facebook have all banned him at some point for his misogynistic content. The people’s verdict on him won’t get much better after seeing his online altercation with Greta Thunberg.
Tate first moved to Romania five years ago. The criminal investigation against him and his brother has been underway since April 2022, with allegations of sexually exploiting women for pornographic content against them. Authorities also suspect two Romanian citizens, who they detained along with Tate and his brother.
