MIAMI (AP) — Social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate tried to convince a U.S. judge on Thursday that they were playing characters online when they made lewd, abusive statements as they sought release from a Miami jail on bail.

The Tate brothers were arrested in Miami on July 18 after Britain requested their extradition to face charges of rape, assault and sexual exploitation and abetting trafficking. The Tate brothers, who hold dual American and British citizenship, have denied any wrongdoing.

The former kickboxers have built a large online following promoting their views on masculinity and money. Andrew Tate, 39, has previously described himself as a misogynist.

Testifying, Andrew Tate said that when he was first arrested in Romania about five years ago, he had stopped saying “stupid things” on the Internet. Both brothers are accused of human trafficking in Romania.

“Top G is a caricature,” Tate said, referring to an online nickname he called an “exaggerated character.”

Tate said, “I do it to get men out of apathy.”

Tristan Tate, 38, testified that he and his brother played online characters to help their posts gain popularity.

Tristan Tate testified, referring to his brother, “It’s his flamboyant, quirky, sometimes corny comedy that makes him viral.” “He is the only person in the world who is judged by the character he plays.”

It was unclear whether the strategy would succeed in convincing U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren Lewis that they would not pose a danger to the community or pose a flight risk if released. Prosecutors say there is a strong bias in favor of detention in extradition cases.

During the hearing, the brothers had shackles on their feet, wore beige prison garb and had beards.

The arrests marked a new phase in his legal problems. ⁠Tates recruited dozens of women to work in a webcam pornography business that began in 2014, and later ran an online course called “Hustler University,” prosecutors with the Miami U.S. Attorney’s Office said in an Aug. 10 court filing.

Testimony of Andrew Tate’s romantic partner

Earlier on Thursday, Natasha Sesay, the mother of one of Andrew Tate’s children, said that sometimes his online provocative comments do not reflect who he really is.

“It’s a very different character between the person you see online and the person I know,” said Sesay, who is expecting another child with Andrew Tate next month.

Under cross-examination by federal prosecutor Abbie Waxman, Sesay admitted that Andrew Tate had paid for her house in Dubai as well as luxury bags, shoes and jewelry.

Prosecutors also pointed to allegations by Romanian authorities that he tried to influence witnesses’ statements while he was released on judicial supervision there. Romanian authorities say Tates threatened to release private information about alleged victims and paid bribes to one alleged victim, US prosecutors said.

Defense lawyer Thomas Maniotis said that the witnesses whom Tates accused of bribing were women who wanted to speak on their behalf, and said that Tates helped coordinate their travel to Bucharest and appointed lawyers for them.

Defense lawyers proposed that Lewis release them on conditions that they post bond, surrender their passports and submit to surveillance of the location.

British duty lasts for seven years

The legal process to determine whether the Tate brothers can be extradited could take months. ​US court records show Britain has until September 16 to submit its full extradition request to the State Department.

The brothers’ arrest in Miami was prompted by new charges brought by Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service relating to alleged crimes involving four alleged victims between July 2010 and August 2017.

⁠The CPS said he previously faced rape and human trafficking charges relating to three alleged victims in Britain. A British judge issued a warrant for his arrest in 2024. He has not appeared in a British court to enter a plea on those charges.

Britain is seeking to extradite the brothers to face both charges.

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