Notorious “manosphere” influencer Andrew Tate has agreed to a three-year restraining order that bars him from possessing any guns in the U.S. or getting anywhere near Brianna Stern, the model who claims Tate choked, beat, and sexually assaulted her in a Beverly Hills hotel last March.
Tate, 38, must stay at least 100 yards away from Stern and her home, according to the new domestic violence order signed by a Los Angeles County judge during a court hearing Thursday. The self-described misogynist influencer also must refrain from contacting the model known for her appearances in Maxim, FHM, and Playboy. Stern also has permission to record Tate without his consent to demonstrate any alleged violations of the new restraining order, the judge said. (Tate and Stern did not attend the hearing. Their lawyers appeared for them instead.)
Speaking from the bench, Judge Laura Cohen said the two sides voluntarily agreed to the terms, so there was no need to call witnesses for testimony about Stern’s underlying claims. Cohen said the parties agreed that “there are no admissions and no findings of any wrongdoing.” She then asked Tate’s lawyer, Jason Koch, if his client understood he was still giving up some rights.
“As the expiration date approaches, the petitioner can request a renewal for another five years, up to permanent. There could be the right to a renewal,” Judge Cohen said. “And no firearms, firearm parts, or ammunition. Your client understands that?”
Koch said Tate understood and agreed not to possess any guns. (The prohibition is only enforceable in the U.S.) In a statement after the hearing, Tate’s longtime lawyer, Joseph McBride, said his client wasn’t bothered by the order and still denies assaulting Stern. He said Tate is more focused on the $50 million cross-complaint for defamation that he filed against Stern earlier this month after she sued him for sexual assault and battery while simultaneously pursuing the civil restraining order.
“Mr. Tate made a strategic decision to stipulate to a temporary civil order without admissions of any kind,” McBride said in his statement Thursday. “This was not a loss, but a tactical move that spares everyone an unnecessary fight in a forum that no longer matters.”
McBride noted that the Los Angeles County District Attorney ultimately declined to file felony charges. “We are moving forward, and we are confident that when this case reaches a jury, Mr. Tate will be vindicated,” he wrote.
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian/New Zealand music and globally.
Stern’s lawyer, Anthony Buzbee, said he’s just as eager to go to trial. “I am chomping at the bit to try this case in front of a jury,” he said in an email to Rolling Stone. Buzbee said the three-year restraining order was necessary to protect his client while the parallel civil case unfolds. “Mr. Tate currently resides abroad, but the order ensures that Ms. Stern remains protected whenever Tate does return to the United States, whether for trial or otherwise.”
In her assault lawsuit, filed March 27 of this year, Stern alleged that Tate choked and repeatedly beat her in the face and head as she sobbed and begged him to stop during an overnight stay at the Beverly Hills Hotel between March 10 and March 11.
Stern, who said she dated Tate for 10 months leading up to the alleged attack, claimed Tate’s blows grew “increasingly stronger” as he verbally berated her. Tate allegedly told Stern he planned to make her “do OnlyFans again, but this time you’re going to show your pussy and give me all the money,” the lawsuit said. Stern alleged the violent attack left her “terrified,” gasping for air, and ultimately nursing a concussion inside the luxury hotel.
“Plaintiff protested and never stopped crying and begging Tate to stop. However, her cries and pleas only led to Tate hitting her harder. Her cries appeared to be what he wanted, what he needed to climax, the sick fetish of a disturbed man,” the lawsuit filed by Buzbee on behalf of Stern read.
Stern posted a statement on her Instagram saying she met Tate in 2024 when he was recruiting models for his crypto coin. She said they made plans to live together in Romania and then in Miami. The last time she saw him was at the hotel on May 11, she said.
“The last week has been very difficult and extremely scary for me. I am an emotional wreck and constantly looking over my shoulder. I’m not the person I was before. Andrew texted me recently and let me know, ‘If you ever betray me, you will regret it.’ He has told me on many occassion before that if I crossed him, he would ruin my life, rape me or kill me,” she wrote on her Instagram story. “I know he and his followers will insult me and attack me. I don’t care because I speak the truth.”
Tate, meanwhile, is a former professional kickboxer who amassed millions of followers on social media while pushing his polarizing brand of far-right toxic masculinity. He and his brother, Tristan Tate, are currently facing a combination of criminal and civil actions in three countries: Romania, the U.K., and the U.S.
The brothers briefly returned to the U.S. earlier this year after the travel restrictions they were under related to their human trafficking case in Romania were relaxed. The brothers were arrested in Romania in 2022 on accusations they lured women to the country, made false promises they wanted romantic relationships, and forced the women to appear in pornographic videos. Romanian officials allege the brothers transported a total of seven women under the alleged trafficking scheme. The brothers, who reportedly are back in Romania, deny the allegations.
A hearing in the consolidated civil case involving Stern’s assault lawsuit and Tate’s related defamation claims is set for Sept. 24.
From Rolling Stone US
