Shocking news: Andrew Tate is not only the internet’s biggest misogynist, he’s also a textbook abuser. Yep, I’m just as shocked as you are!
Tate achieved his fame through rape and human trafficking allegations as well as selling online courses he has admitted are a “total scam.” Once branded as Hustler’s University, these courses used to run customers $49.99 per month, a hefty price to pay for bad advice. Emboldened by his success in ripping off lonely men online, Tate has rebranded his courses into The War Room, an exclusive group network costing an absurd $8,000 a year to join (no girls allowed, of course). It’s one thing to get swindled out of $50, but if Tate’s taking thousands from you, you “must bare some responsibility” for being in that position.
This ultra-secretive group is home to videos where Tate gives his subcribers advice on how to manipulate, exploit, and ultimately abuse women. The Daily Dot recently reported that hackers leaked clips from one War Room video as part of an organized hacking effort on the influencer and, while the content is roughly what I’d expect from Tate, the advice given is no less abhorrent.
Speaking alongside Stirling Cooper, “the world’s number one sex coach for men” (self-proclaimed), and fellow Manosphere influencer Justin Waller, Tate advises men to keep their girlfriends away from their friends, ostensibly so she doesn’t realize her boyfriend is a total freak. “People will call it manipulation,” he says, while describing a textbook example of manipulation. “They’ll talk about your business, they’ll give their side of the story only. You’re a bad guy now.”
In other clips, he continues to encourage his followers to use common abuse tactics like cutting off women from their support networks and not allowing them to work normal jobs. “If she has a normal job, she’s got a social circle, she’s got a support network. She’s having a bunch of conversations you don’t know about,” Tate rambles, somehow demonizing friendships. “She has concerns which aren’t involving you. Her brain power is dedicated to things that have nothing to do with you.” Women working instead of thinking nonstop about mediocre men? Yegads!
Aside from expounding domestic abuse as dating advice, members of Tate’s War Room have been investigated for grooming women to perform sex work, the BBC reports. The investigation found evidence of 45 potential victims based on encrypted chat logs. Tate denies the allegations, but it’s not the first time he’s been accused of sex trafficking. He famously moved to Romania in order to escape what he called “Western legal systems” in favor of “somewhere with common-sense rules,” only to be indicted on charges including human trafficking and forming an organized crime group to sexually exploit women. Common-sense rules, indeed.
Tate’s whole worldview and shtick is not only harmful and regressive, it’s embarrassing. Like, the man is threatened by Elmo. How can you brag about being a self-described “alpha” and be intimidated by a fuzzy Sesame Street character who preaches kindness, curiosity, and a general joie de vivre at the same time? Though, this is the man who called Taylor Swift “ancient”, despite being one foot in the grave himself, and who criticized Kamala Harris while raiding her wardrobe, after all. Self awareness is clearly beyond his capabilities, and so too is his ability to evade rightful investigation.