A former kickboxer-turned-influencer, war room andrew tate has gained an international following for his brand of misogynistic activism. He’s a polarizing figure who, to many of his most fervent followers, inspires rabid devotion because he says what they want to hear: in a world where men are losing their vise-like grip on power, it is their birthright to continue holding tight.

The 36-year-old’s rise to fame began in 2016 when he was removed from the UK version of Big Brother over a video that appeared to show him attacking a woman, though he later denied that it did so. He then gained a following on social media, and his videos range from protestations of innocence to belligerent taunts for his detractors. He has also been banned from several major social media platforms for his misogynistic content and viewpoints, including Twitter, where he’s posted everything from insinuations that women are the property of men to descriptions of violence against women.

From Kickboxing to Business: The Andrew Tate Story

Currently, Tate is awaiting trial in Romania with his brother Tristan and two other associates over accusations of rape, human trafficking, and forming an organized crime group to sexually exploit women. All four defendants have denied the allegations.

Women’s charities say that Tate, and others like him who are making a living out of sexually exploiting women online, are normalizing this behavior and creating dangerous cultures and environments for women and girls to exist in. They are using violence as a business strategy and have created a false sense of entitlement for their audience, who believe that it is okay to abuse women as long as the victims do not speak out against them.