WASHINGTON, DC (September 9, 2026) – The first civil case brought in the U.S. against Andrew and Tristan Tate has been allowed to proceed, defeating the Tates’ motion to dismiss Jane Doe’s counterclaims. Doe is a victim of and witness against the Tates in the Romanian sex trafficking prosecution.
“This is a major step toward justice for Jane Doe, who was sued by Andrew and Tristan Tate merely for cooperating with Romanian authorities. The Tates’ unjust defamation lawsuit against her demanded a response, and now the Tates will have to respond to her counterclaims. We have maintained that the Tates’ lawsuit was only meant to intimidate her into recanting her testimony. Jane Doe will continue to fight against the Tates’ lawfare against her,” said Dani Pinter, Chief Legal Officer and Director of the Law Center at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.
The Tate brothers filed a defamation lawsuit against Doe, and her parents, seeking damages in excess of $5 million dollars. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation Law Center and law firm DiCello Levitt LLP filed a counterclaim against the Tate brothers on behalf of Jane Doe to vindicate her rights as a victim of and witness against the Tate brothers. Her claims of defamation, abuse of process, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and battery will now proceed toward trial.
Doe, an American citizen, alleges she was groomed and lured from Florida to Romania by Tristan Tate under the false pretense of a romantic relationship. She further alleges the Tate brothers attempted to recruit Doe into their webcam sex trafficking ring. Jane Doe was rescued from the Tate brothers’ property by Romanian police and cooperated with their investigation. Her counterclaims outline the harassment and smear campaign she has endured at the hands of the Tate brothers ever since.
The National Center on Sexual Exploitation Law Center is available as a resource for anyone who has experienced sexual exploitation in connection with Andrew Tate or other facets of the commercial sex industry. The NCOSE Law Center has been fighting for justice for survivors who have experienced sex trafficking or abuse, and currently represents survivors of sexual exploitation in litigation against X (formerly Twitter), Pornhub, XVideos, and XHamster. Click this link to support the NCOSE Law Center.
To schedule an interview with NCOSE, please contact press@ncose.com.
About National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE)
Founded in 1962, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is the leading national non-profit organization exposing the links between all forms of sexual exploitation such as child sexual abuse, prostitution, sex trafficking and the public health harms of pornography.
About DiCello Levitt
DiCello Levitt LLP is one of the leading plaintiffs’ law firms in the United States. Nationally recognized for our work in high-stakes class actions, mass torts, and complex litigation, we have recovered more than $25 billion for clients, including individuals, businesses, and communities. We take on some of the world’s most powerful interests, pursuing justice that reshapes industries and improves lives.
Built for trial, DiCello Levitt is among the few plaintiffs’ firms with a dedicated trial center, where our acclaimed trial lawyers bring both art and science to courtroom preparation and trial strategy. We are frequently appointed to lead major multidistrict litigation (MDLs) and consistently recognized among the nation’s top plaintiffs’ firms by Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation, and The National Law Journal, which has named DiCello Levitt Plaintiffs’ Firm of the Year and Trial Strategy Innovation Firm of the Year.
