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A civil case against Andrew Tate over allegations he subjected four women to sexual violence and coercive control is the first case of its kind, a judge has been told.
The influencer is being sued by two women who worked for his webcam business in Luton, Bedfordshire, in 2015 and two former girlfriends in 2013 and 2014.
One woman has accused Tate, 38, of raping, strangling and whipping her with a belt in 2015. She has also alleged he pointed a gun in her face and said: “I’m a boss, I’m a fucking G, you’re going to do as I say or there’ll be hell to pay.”
Anne Studd KC, representing the women, told the judge, Richard Armstrong, it was thought to be the “first occasion” that coercive control was “brought before the high court in a civil context”.
In written submissions, the barrister added the case was “understood to be the first claim where allegations of coercive control have been considered in a civil context of whether that behaviour can amount to intentional infliction of harm”.
The hearing at the high court in London on Tuesday dealt with preliminary matters, including disclosure and legal costs. The judge said the claimants were “seeking damages likely to reach six figures” and scheduled a three-week trial for early 2027.
Tate denies the allegations and claims his relationships with the women were consensual. Studd told the court there was “a total denial of wrongdoing” and that Tate had dismissed the claims in his written defence as “a pack of lies” and “nonsense”. Tate’s lawyers further claim the allegations for personal injury are barred as they are subject to a three-year limitation period.
Studd said there was a “vast amount” to review in the case, including “thousands of pages of open-source material” produced by Tate, “as well as material provided from law enforcement agencies, material from criminal proceedings in other jurisdictions” and video footage.
She told the court: “[Tate] has a profile, largely made by himself, where he regularly discusses issues of violence against women and girls and misogyny” and gave his “seemingly high-profile support for behaviours of that type”.
The judge allowed the women to rely on evidence from one expert on “why victims of sexual violence do not always bring claims precipitously”, but refused to allow them to rely on a second expert on coercive control.
Studd had said expert evidence was needed so the court had “the whole picture”, describing coercive control as “a form of grooming and manipulation where the victim becomes less and less able to respond in what might be perceived as a normal way. In particular, she may not leave even if the door is open.”
But Vanessa Marshall KC, for Tate, said the additional expert evidence was “unnecessary”.
Armstrong did not allow Tate’s lawyers to claim the costs of travelling to Romania to take statements. “He has travelled to the US and Dubai recently, there is no reason he cannot travel to the UK,” the judge said.
Three of the women had reported Tate to Hertfordshire police in 2019 but the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to bring criminal charges.
Tate and his brother Tristan are under criminal investigation in Romania over allegations of human trafficking, trafficking of minors and money laundering.
Bedfordshire police are seeking to arrest the Tate brothers in relation to allegations of rape and trafficking dating to between 2012 and 2015. The two men deny all accusations against them.
