As we've reported, sources have told the BBC that Andrew and Tristan Tate left Romania on a private jet bound for the United States from Bucharest earlier this morning.

We do know from Romanian authorities that they very much maintain "judicial control" and the case has not been dropped.

What has changed is the Tate brothers' request to be able to leave the country has been given the green light, but both will be expected to return to Romania.

We don't yet know where in the US the private jet is destined for, but we are monitoring where it might be heading. We are also waiting to hear from the Tate brothers themselves.

Why have they been allowed to leave Romania now? And what part did the US, if any, have to play?

These are some of the questions we're trying to answer, and we'll bring you more information as we get it.

Andrew Harding
Travelling to Bucharest

I’m heading to Bucharest to report on the sudden departure of Andrew and Tristan Tate from Romania.

They had been barred from leaving the country but that has changed, abruptly, and amid much speculation.

Tate has described himself as a "self-made multi-millionaire" and said he earned money through "a little webcam business from my apartment".

"I had 75 women working for me in four locations and I was doing $600,000 a month from webcam," he said in a podcast interview.

In a now-deleted page on his website, he said he brought women into the "adult entertainment industry".

"My job was to meet a girl, go on a few dates, sleep with her, test if she's quality, get her to fall in love with me to where she'd do anything I say and then get her on webcam so we could become rich together," he wrote on the page - which was subsequently taken down in February 2022.

Tate works alongside his brother, Tristan, who told the Daily Mirror that their business was "all a big scam" which saw men pay to talk to women online.

"I've seen men sell cars, TVs... This guy's gran passed away and they were waiting for the sale of the house. When the house was sold he'd get £20,000 and promised it to [a model], to pay for her fake financial problem," Tristan said.

Nick Thorpe
Central Europe correspondent in Bucharest

The Romanian special prosecutor's service, DIICOT, who is the investigating agency in the Tate case, has issued a statement on the departure of the Tate brothers this morning from Romania.

The DIICOT statement makes clear that the Tates are still under investigation in Romania, and the case against them has not been dropped.

What has changed is that their request to be able to leave Romania has been accepted.

Their request to drop the charges has been rejected. They will be expected to return to Romania at a later date (we understand that to be at the end of March) to satisfy the terms of their continued "under judicial control" status.

"Regarding two defendants, individuals with dual citizenship, American and British, who are under judicial control in the criminal cases being investigated by DIICOT – Central Structure, we make the following clarification: the request to revoke the preventive measure of judicial control has been rejected, and it remains in place in both cases where criminal prosecution is under way," the prosecutors say.

Nick Thorpe
Central Europe correspondent in Bucharest

Image source, Getty Images

I am standing outside the special prosecutor's office here in Bucharest and reliable sources tell me that Andrew and Tristan Tate flew out of the Baneasa airport - a small airport here - on a private jet bound for the USA at 05:00 local time (03:00 GMT).

This was made possible by the prosecutors and the office behind me returning their US passports.

But, I believe the two remain under investigation and that they have given an undertaking they will return to Romania at the end of March.

They are accused of crimes including trafficking and rape, very serious charges which they have denied. They have said in previous statements they want to clear their name in a Romanian court.

Once they touch down in the United States the Tates will portray this as a great victory, they have been under investigation for over two years and now they have managed to leave the country.

Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor

After more than two years of being banned from leaving Romania, Andrew and Tristan Tate have flown out of Bucharest.

They were still facing criminal prosecution on very serious charges, so what has changed and where are they heading?

Romanian reports suggest they are heading for the US, reportedly Florida, and the US would be their most likely destination. But why now?

Earlier this month Romania's Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu told Romanian TV that President Trump's special envoy had brought up the issue of the Tate brothers during a conversation at the Munich Security Conference.

Hurezeanu said he hadn't considered Richard Grenell's approach as a "form of pressure", although Grenell told the FT his support for the brothers was evident.

Does this mean their criminal case in Romania is over? That seems highly unlikely and the BBC is approaching prosecutors in Bucharest for comment.

They are also facing separate, unrelated charges in the UK as well as a separate case in Florida, so their extended stay in Romania may be over, but the legal cases against them have not gone away.

Andrew Tate denied fuelling a culture of misogyny and defended his reputation in a combative interview with the BBC in 2023.

When the BBC put a range of allegations to him - including specific accusations of rape, human trafficking and exploiting women, for which he is being investigated by Romanian prosecutors - he dismissed them.

When pushed on whether his controversial views on women harmed young people, the influencer claimed he was a "force for good" and that he was "acting under the instruction of God to do good things".

When asked about organisations that blamed him for increased incidents of girls being attacked, and female teachers being harassed, he said: "I have never, ever encouraged a student to attack a teacher, male or female, ever."

Image source, EPA

Andrew Tate was detained alongside his brother Tristan in December 2022 in a suburb of the Romanian capital, Bucharest, as part of an investigation into allegations of human trafficking and rape, which they deny. The pair were charged along with two Romanian female suspects in June 2023.

In response to the charges against them, the media team for the Tate brothers said: "While this news is undoubtedly predictable, we embrace the opportunity it presents to demonstrate their innocence and vindicate their reputation."

In December 2023, the Tate brothers were ordered not to leave Romania after they made a request to visit their mother in hospital in the UK.

A Romanian court ruled in early July 2024 that Tate and his brother could leave the country but had to stay within the European Union.

This decision was opposed by prosecutors, and overturned less than two weeks later by the Bucharest Court of Appeal.

Andrew Tate, 38, and his brother Tristan were arrested in Romania three years ago and face trial on allegations of rape, trafficking minors and money laundering, all of which they deny.

Separately, the brothers are wanted by police in the UK over allegations of rape and human trafficking, which they also deny. Their extradition to the UK will be dealt with once the Romania case finishes.

The pair, who have dual UK-US nationality, had been banned from leaving Romania, but this ban now appears to have been lifted.

Romania's prime minster had previously denied being pressured by the US government to allow the brothers, who hold dual UK-US nationality, to travel.

The Tate brothers have wide support on right-wing social media and supported Trump during the US election campaign.

Nick Thorpe
Central Europe correspondent, in Bucharest

Andrew and Tristan Tate left Romania soon after 05:00 local time (03:00 GMT) this morning, reliable sources in Bucharest have told the BBC.

They are believed to have left by private jet from the Baneasa airport, heading in the direction of the US.