Rick Ross was arrested in Miami Beach on Thursday morning and charged with felony battery by strangulation and misdemeanor battery, marking the latest legal trouble for the rapper whose catalog includes “Hustlin’” and whose business empire spans music, real estate, and endorsements.
The 50-year-old rapper, whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts II, surrendered to Miami Beach police at approximately 6 a.m. Thursday and was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. He was released hours later after posting bond.
What Are the Charges Against Rick Ross?
Ross faces one felony count of battery by strangulation and one misdemeanor count of battery, both characterized as domestic violence offenses. Bail was set at $5,000 for the strangulation charge and $1,000 for the battery charge, totaling $6,000.
During his court appearance, Judge Mindy S. Glazer ordered Ross to stay away from the alleged victim and have no contact with her.
The Alleged Incident on Star Island
According to an arrest affidavit, the incident occurred on August 28 at Ross’s home on Star Island, an exclusive neighborhood in Miami Beach. The woman told detectives she had been living with Ross and was awakened by him that morning.
The affidavit states Ross was “enraged” because she had been “tagged in a photo on Instagram.” He allegedly questioned her about lying to him, accused her of being in a relationship with someone she was “merely friends with,” and then slapped her in the face.
The woman alleged Ross struck her multiple times in the chest and then “choked the victim to the point she could not breathe by grabbing the collar of the hoodie she was wearing and twisting it”. She further alleged he grabbed her by her ponytail and slammed her against a wall, then struck her in the face while she was bent over, causing a busted lip.
According to the report, Ross then pushed her to the floor and turned on the shower, attempting to spray her with the showerhead.
The woman left the home and returned later after Ross had departed to collect her belongings. She provided photographic evidence of her injuries to police, and security cameras captured the incident.
The police report was filed on September 29, approximately a month after the alleged incident.
Jazzma Kendrick’s Public Accusations
The charges come days after Ross’s ex-girlfriend, model and content creator Jazzma Kendrick, publicly accused him of physical abuse on social media.
On September 26, Kendrick, 39, posted a photo to her Instagram Stories showing her with an injured lip, writing: “I don’t know a lot of things, but I do know that a man that puts his hands on me, is a man that never loved me and never will”. In another post, she wrote: “The day Rick busted my lip and the day I left”.
It remains unclear whether Kendrick’s allegations are directly connected to the criminal charges filed Thursday.
Judge Rejects Celebrity Plea
During Thursday’s hearing, Ross’s attorney Bradley Horenstein asked the judge to expedite his client’s release, citing Ross’s celebrity status and concerns about his safety while in custody.
“Mr. Roberts is a celebrity. I don’t know to whatever degree Your Honor can, but I’d ask that his release be expedited,” Horenstein said.
Judge Glazer rejected the request outright. “I have no idea who you are except as somebody here in the court who’s going to be treated fairly, just like everybody here,” she told Ross during the video hearing.
Ross Maintains Innocence
Ross pleaded not guilty to both charges through his attorney. In a statement issued Thursday, his legal team said the rapper “is being wrongfully accused by an ex-girlfriend whose true motivations are unclear”.
“The ex did not even file a police report until a month after the claimed incident allegedly took place,” defense attorney Steve Sadow said. “Mr. Roberts is innocent and has pled not guilty to the charges”.
Speaking to reporters after his release, Ross declared: “I’m totally innocent of these fabricated allegations made against me. I repeat, I’m totally innocent of these fabricated allegations made against me”.
He also outlined his immediate plans, saying he intended to travel to Dubai on Friday and Paris on Saturday before returning Sunday for a meal of “rigatoni with heavy marinara”.
What Happens Next
Ross is scheduled to appear for his arraignment on October 22. If convicted on the felony strangulation charge, he could face up to five years in prison. The misdemeanor battery charge carries a potential sentence of up to one year in jail.
Under Florida law, a person convicted of domestic violence causing injury may be required to serve a minimum of 10 days in jail.
This is not Ross’s first brush with the law. In 2015, he was arrested in Georgia on kidnapping and assault charges after being accused of forcing a landscaper into a guesthouse and beating him with a handgun over a debt. He pleaded no contest in 2017 to one felony count of aggravated assault and was sentenced to five years’ probation and a $10,000 fine. Under Georgia’s first-offender program, the felony conviction was later erased from his record.
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