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Two Romanian women have come forward alleging that Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan approached them online using a pre-planned formula when they were teenagers.
Daria Gusa, who was 16 at the time, and another girl, who asked to be called Gabriela, disclosed to BBC News the private messages they received on their Instagram profiles from the Tate brothers. Gabriela, who was 17 when Tristan approached her, explained that her friend too was contacted by him, adding:
"I knew he was using the same approach with other girls... He always starts the conversation with the same exact line: 'You're beautiful.'"
The former kickboxer has frequently explained in his videos that the basic compliment, "You're beautiful," is the perfect pick-up line as it creates a positive first interaction.
The brothers are presently in custody and are being investigated in Romania over allegations of r*ape, human trafficking, and organized crime.
"I think he was just trying to find girls who were as innocent or naive as possible": Two women disclose Andrew Tate's alleged messages
Daria Gusa told BBC News that the high-profile social media influencer sent her a private message that read "Romanian girl," followed by some "flirty emoji." She explained that it confused her because her profile was private and only had about 200 followers. She remarked:
"It was obvious we were high-school girls... We had our high school in our bio and everything."
Daria shared screenshots of the message sent on July 4, 2020, allegedly from Andrew Tate's Instagram account with BBC News. However, she never responded to him. She added that it seemed like he was trying to find "innocent and naive girls."
"I think he was just trying to find girls who were as innocent or naïve as possible, in my opinion."
Daria, who is currently studying in the UK, is the daughter of a prominent politician in Romania. She explained that many "young men," especially those who idolize Andrew Tate, have accused her of lying. She added:
"This is a big problem because we can't wake up in 20 years with two million Andrew Tates."
Meanwhile, Gabriela stated that she and her friend received a similar message from Tristan. She was a minor at the time of the incident and shared screenshots of her conversation with BBC News which showed Tristan asking her where she was hiding. He even invited her out in his car and to a party, which she declined.
According to the BBC, the screenshots show that the online exchange ended abruptly after she posted a video of Tate on her social media. One last message read:
"Important people will never want to write to you if they see you do stuff like this. Just a friendly warning."
More on Tate's standard formula to strike up a conversation with women
The 36-year-old influencer's many videos outline a "perfect example" of a conversation to approach a girl for a date.
He believes a basic compliment like "You're beautiful" is a good and safe conversation starter. In another video, Andrew Tate stated that a great way to create "intrigue" and get a "response" online is to ask where they are. He added:
"Sometimes (for) intrigue, I'll put a completely pointless emoji on the end: some cherries, or an orange, or a strawberry."
After establishing their location, he advises men to ask where they are hiding before approaching them for a date. He reasons that "99% would say they're not hiding."
In one of Andrew Tate's online courses, he stated that half of the employees in his webcam studio were his girlfriends at the time, and "NONE were in the adult entertainment industry before they met me."
While the screenshots do not prove that the brothers did anything illegal, they imply that there was a pre-planned method to initiate contact. The screenshots themselves need to be verified for their authenticity, but the usernames match that of the Tate brothers before they were banned from the social site.
On Friday, January 20, 2023, Romanian courts extended the brother's detention until the end of February.
