Andrew and Tristan Tate's lawyers have admitted in new US court filings that their online show of extreme wealth is “hyperbolic” and played for clicks, with rented supercars and a promoted, not owned, superyacht.
The playboy lifestyle flaunted online by the brothers is “not real”, court documents show. The brothers, 39 and 38, have built a huge global fanbase of young male followers by brash boasts about their flash cars and swanky mansions.
But new court documents suggest much of what they brag about is basically an act. Their lawyers concede that many of their viral claims about wealth, power and influence are “hyperbolic” and designed to generate clicks.
Legal team says content is 'deliberately outrageous'
In legal filings obtained by the Daily Mail and submitted on Friday (August 21), the brothers' legal team argues that federal authorities have made the same mistake as millions of fans by taking them seriously.
They say the “deliberately outrageous” social media content is not meant to be taken literally. The filings say: “The more outlandish the post, the more attention it attracts, which then generates income. In short, they are playing a role.”
Supercars and superyacht revealed as rented or promoted
The documents dismantle some of the Tates' most famous status symbols, the Daily Mail reported. Lawyers say the $2.1million Aston Martin (about £1.66million) and the Bugattis Tristan regularly featured - including $5million (about £3.95million) and $7million (about £5.53million) models - were actually rented to create the impression he was mega-wealthy.
Additionally, the $50million superyacht (about £39.5million) prosecutors suggested could be used to flee isn't owned by the brothers after all, the filing claims. It states the brothers were paid by a third party to promote the vessel on social media.
Prosecutors argue flight risk
Prosecutors have speculated Andrew has as many as eight passports, including from countries such as the UK, US, Estonia, Nigeria, Poland and Vanuatu. But the defence argues the government has confused online jokes for reality - and says one “Mexican passport” shown online under the name “Vladimir Scorpius” was merely a cardboard prop used for a Halloween costume.
US prosecutors have consequently argued the Tates should be detained without release because they are a serious flight risk, pointing to their own public claims of being “self-proclaimed billionaires” with private jets, yachts and vast crypto holdings.
The brothers were arrested by the US Marshals in Miami last month, and have been held at the Federal Detention Center (FDC) Miami since July 18 while fighting extradition to the UK. The Crown Prosecution Service has brought a further 38 charges, including rape, human trafficking and sexual exploitation. The Tates reportedly deny all allegations across their various legal cases in the US, UK and Romania.
The filings also complain about allegedly harsh conditions inside FDC Miami's Special Housing Unit, including limited recreation time and phone access, and describe an incident in which the brothers claim they were left coughing and gasping after pepper spray used on another detainee drifted into their cells.
