A woman sued by Andrew Tate is relieved the case against her has been dropped, but her lawyer has questioned the personal cost of her “legal victory”.

Tate, a divisive influencer and self-proclaimed misogynist, filed a lawsuit against a number of people in a Palm Beach, Florida, court last year, seeking $5 million in damages. The 38-year-old notorious British-American YouTube personality claimed the defendants caused his arrest in 2022 in Bucharest, Romania and accused them of defamation.

He, his brother Tristan Tate and two Romanian nationals were arrested two years ago after Romania’s special organized crime unit, DIICOT, raided the siblings’ property.

Since then, they have been accused of forming a criminal gang for the sexual exploitation of women, human trafficking and tampering with evidence. Tate has also been accused of rape and her trial is ongoing. All four have denied any wrongdoing.

One of the women in the Florida lawsuit, a Romanian-Moldovan citizen who goes by the alias “Mary Doe,” was at the Tates’ compound when a raid was carried out and told local police she was the victim of the alleged crimes .

“She has suffered enormously from the actions of the Tates over the past year,” one of Mary’s lawyers, Jill Roth, said in an interview with Newsweek. “Not only because of the underlying act for which they are being prosecuted in Romania, but also because of the ridiculous, defamatory, vile and unprofessional things they have said about this woman, in this lawsuit and all its iterations, but also publicly Twitter and in podcasts and other interviews.”

But Mary recently scored a “legal victory,” according to Roth, after the Palm Beach County Court ruled Nov. 28 that the case against her should be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.

“She should never have been involved in this process at all,” Roth added.

The court denied a motion to dismiss the broader lawsuit. The remaining defendants include another woman named “Jane Doe,” who was also found at the Romanian compound during the raid, as well as a parent and a male friend. This woman and her parents are American citizens and residents of Florida.

A spokesman for Tate said Newsweek The court’s decision “underscores the importance of resolving the claims as part of a comprehensive legal process.”

“By going to court, they have the opportunity to present evidence, dispute the allegations and potentially clear their names in a structured and transparent manner,” the spokesperson said. “This development also underscores the seriousness of the disputed allegations and underscores the Tates’ consistent denial of wrongdoing and their commitment to pursuing accountability through legal means.”

But Roth said she believes a trial could be risky for the Tate brothers because it would have the potential to expose them by making evidence public.

“They have to release information because they are the ones filing the lawsuit,” she said. “So I hope that as this case continues, the survivors can take some comfort and some strength knowing that this is not a clear victory for these perpetrators.”

Roth described the lawsuit as a “disgusting tactic” by Tate, but said she wanted to make it clear to the alleged victims that “there are people out there who will stand with them and fight for them.”

Mary Doe has faced ongoing harassment from Tate’s millions of fans, including doxxing, which involves revealing personal information, such as a home address, online. However, she has vowed to remain as a witness in the Romanian criminal trial.

Roth said, “She is no longer a defendant in this lawsuit, but it’s really hard for her or me to view it as a victory.” At the end of the day, when you have suffered so much additional trauma, harassment, threats and slander directed at you.” “She lived in fear, but she showed remarkable courage and strength by not giving in.”

Roth also accused the Tates of using the Florida lawsuit as a means to intimidate Mary Doe into retracting her statement to DIICOT, citing alleged threatening messages sent to her by her fans on social media was to publish adult pictures of her to family and friends and professional contacts.

However, a spokesman for Andrew and Tristan Tate said they “categorically reject the notion that the lawsuit is intended to intimidate or silence the defendant.”

“Our only goal is to achieve justice and hold accountable those who have made false and harmful allegations. We are undeterred by this pursuit,” the spokesperson said via email.

Roth said, “She will not be silenced by this lawsuit and she will not recant her statement, as the Tates had hoped or expected her to do.”

“They’re really taking a ‘belt and suspenders’ approach to their efforts to silence this woman, really hammering her from all sides,” she added.

Who is Andrew Tate?

Tate, a dual British and American citizen, was a professional kickboxer in the UK before appearing on the reality TV show Big Brother in 2015. He became notorious for his sexist comments and was eventually kicked off the show when producers learned he was under police investigation for sexual assault.

He then launched his online career, where he taught courses at the former Hustler’s University on topics such as wealth creation and personal development, teaching men how to be more “masculine.”

Tate was banned from several social media sites, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, for promoting misogynistic content. He was kicked off X (formerly Twitter) for stating that women should “bear responsibility” for sexual assault, but the ban was later lifted.

Most recently, Tate was banned from Bluesky less than a day after joining for violating their terms of service.

Earlier this year, British police obtained an arrest warrant to extradite the brothers over allegations of sexual assault between 2012 and 2015. A Romanian court ruled that extradition would not take place until the trial in Romania was completed.

In May 2024, four women filed a lawsuit against Andrew Tate in the United Kingdom Supreme Court, accusing him of rape, physical violence and coercive control between 2013 and 2016. It is unknown whether these alleged incidents were the same as those in the extradition case . Tate has denied all allegations.