Andrew Tate has been banned from TikTok after the social media service joined Facebook and Instagram in suspending the controversial former kickboxer.
Tate, who has been linked with boxing fights with Jake and Logan Paul, has caused anger in recent months for his views on women. He was booted from Facebook and Instagram last week before pleading his innocence in a lengthy statement.
But in banning him from their service, TikTok claimed Tate had violated their terms which bars content which "attacks, threatens, incites violence against, or otherwise dehumanizes an individual or a group"
In his statement last week, Tate claimed he was receiving thousands of death threats every day, and said: "The media is spinning a false image of me, on repeat, and instagram bowing to pressure is a massive shame. I will always have millions of fans around the world and my platform would be a beacon of light, teaching people of all genders and races how to respect one another for years to come. Now these fans can not learn important lessons of love. Why?
"In time, the world will learn the true nature of my heart. I am a strictly religious man who believes god wants the truth to prevail. I have nothing but positivity to spread regarding all PEOPLE, wether male OR female, and this has been reflected in all of my recent messaging and posts.
"I am a mixed race man raised by a single mother. I suffered all of the disadvantages of the old world. I am a fantastic role model for all people, both male and female. The outpouring of support for me has been immense. I will continue my charitable acts as it is true to my nature, in time the world will understand to see beyond what they're told, to think for themselves and not believe everything they read. I am genuinely innocent. But I truly believe god will prevail."
Should Andrew Tate have been banned from social media? Let us know in the comments section below
Tate rose to fame when he appeared on the reality TV show Big Brother in 2016, however, he was removed from the programme after a video surfaced online which appeared to show him attacking a woman with a belt – a clip he claimed had been edited.
He has since gained further notoriety online for a number of comments about women, including suggesting that they “bear some responsibility” for being assaulted – an incident for which he was banned from Twitter. A number of campaign groups have criticised Mr Tate for his views and warned he was a danger to young men and boys who see his content online, urging the various platforms on which he is active to remove him.
Videos of and about Tate have become increasingly popular on both YouTube and TikTok – videos using a hashtag of his name have been viewed more than 13 billion times on TikTok alone. Tate has not been without his supporters since the bans were implemented, however, with Jake Paul leaping to his defence
The social media star who is now a professional boxer tweeted: "Both of these statements are true: 1) I don’t agree with a lot Andrew Tate’s opinions 2) I don’t agree with censorship Who is with me?"
