In February 2018, during a visit to Bucharest, Lauren Southern, a Canadian political influencer known for her anti-feminist rhetoric, made startling allegations against Andrew Tate, a British-American kickboxer. Southern, then just 22, documented an incident in her self-published memoir, "This Is Not Real Life," where she claims Tate assaulted her in a hotel room while she was under the influence of alcohol. The memoir’s chapters relating to Tate were published on her Substack platform.

Southern has refrained from making further comments regarding the incident, but she did furnish The New York Times with a report from a Toronto hospital. The report, dated February 28, 2018, describes her claims of being strangled and assaulted by a man she did not name, but who Southern stated was a potential investor she had met during her trip. The hospital could not verify the report due to patient confidentiality laws.

Two individuals who traveled with Southern during that trip corroborated her account, mentioning that she shared details of the alleged assault immediately after the incident occurred. In response to the allegations, Tate's lawyer stated unequivocally, “She is lying through her teeth," emphasizing the ongoing tension surrounding Tate amidst rising scrutiny of his actions and allegations against him.