The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- Sarah Marshal
Tate, a former kickboxing world champion, who has amassed millions of followers for his misogynistic online content, is currently under arrest in Romania facing allegations of human trafficking and being part of an organised crime gang.
On Friday (31 March), Tate won an appeal against jail detention, and was placed under house arrest.
The former Big Brother contestant was originally detained in late December in Bucharest, along with his brother Tristan and two Romanian women, with none of the four yet to be formally charged in the case. All four deny the allegations.
South Park’s latest episode, titled “Spring Break”, depicted Tate via character Alonzo Fineski, a “toxic masculinity coach” who is revealed to be a wanted sex trafficker.
Alonzo is shown to have a shaved head and wear faded sunglasses as well as smoke a cigar – an image clearly sculpted around Tate.
In the episode, Alonzo is told: “I think I need to explain something to you. I’m just trying to combat the messages that the liberal left is putting out to young men about their male instincts being toxic.”
Later, when he is arrested, someone calls him a “Romanian sex trafficker”.
In response to the episode, Tate wrote on Twitter: “When I will be proven innocent, I look forward to help create the greatest South Park episode of all time.”
In February, South Park made headlines after sending up Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The episode centred on a prince and his wife – based on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – who decided to move to the fictional South Park, Colorado town. The prince is seen promoting his book, titled Waaaagh, as they embarked on a “we want privacy” tour.
Reports initially suggested that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were planning to sue over the series. However, these were shut down by the couple’s spokesperson, who called the rumours “baseless” and “boring”.
