Andrew and Tristan Tate said on 9 July that the women who accused them of human-trafficking in Romania have formally retracted their statements during interviews with DIICOT prosecutors. One of the accusers, identified as Aliona Untila, allegedly told investigators that she and another woman accepted cash and travel benefits to make false claims against the brothers. According to the Tates, an NGO that receives funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development paid the women about $100,000 and flew them to the south of France shortly after the police report was filed. The brothers, who have been under investigation since late 2022, said they will sue the accusers and any organisations involved. The NGO and USAID have not publicly responded, and Romanian authorities have yet to confirm whether the recantations will affect the case. Independent verification of the Tates’ allegations was not immediately available.