Andrew Tate threatens legal action against accuser

 Andrew Tate threatens legal action against accuser

Andrew Tate threatens legal action against accuser

Tina Glandian pictured speaking in front of a number of microphones. She is sitting with a wall behind her.

Image caption,

One of the Tates' legal advisers Tina Glandian said the brothers were pursuing "their legal rights"

Benjamin Bull, who represents some of the witnesses in the current Tate investigation, says the impact of legal action on his clients has been upsetting and intimidating.

But Dani Pinter, part of the same legal team, says it is not just the threat of legal action that is intimidating, but the online harassment many of her clients receive for speaking out.

"Regular, high production value videos, meant to embarrass and harass them, are shared among Tate's followers," she told me.

"Making really salacious claims, attempting to slut shame them, saying they're liars. But included in that is their private information - where they work, who their family members are - with the clear intention to incite harassment. And it's working."

The two alleged victims she represents have been getting death threats, she says.

"They're scared to death. They're both in hiding. They feel they can't settle anywhere, because people are trying to find them."

Prosecutors have been careful to keep the names of the six women in their case strictly confidential. But some have had their full names published on social media.

And the names of two witnesses even appeared in a statement to the BBC from the Tates' US communications team. The BBC is not naming them publicly.

Andrew Tate and his brother have no access to their social media while in custody, but they've built a vast and loyal network of fans and supporters who are very active online.

Some accounts appear to be fully-staffed operations, regularly releasing videos and documents designed to undermine the testimony of witnesses and other women making allegations against the Tates.

Earlier this week, one of the most active accounts published the full name, social media handles and WhatsApp messages of one of the alleged victims in the investigation.

The BBC has approached the account for comment, but has not yet received a response.

Even those who barely break the surface of this story can find themselves a target.

Daria Gusa spoke to the BBC and others about receiving a private message from Andrew Tate's Instagram account when she was 16 years old. It followed the same pattern laid out by him in online speeches about how to win a woman's attention and gain influence over her.

She did not allege that he had committed any crime.

"I got a bunch of messages," she told me. "Most were from people saying I was lying or calling me a slut."

But she also received "10 to 15 threats" online.

"I had a guy texting me, telling me 'I know you're studying at this university, the schedule is published online, I know where you are'" Daria said.

Several of her friends, who also appear to have had contact with him, have refused to speak out about their experiences, she says.

"It's not just the people who work for him," she explained. "It's that there are basically millions of men out there who really idolise these people, and would do anything to protect them and their image, so I think it's completely justifiable that so many girls don't want to speak out."

It is not clear exactly who runs some of the most active accounts defending the Tates, or how much cooperation exists between them.

But the risks for women making public allegations against Andrew Tate can be high, and they can come from many directions.