Rick Ross was arrested in Miami Beach on Thursday on two domestic violence-related battery charges stemming from an alleged incident at his home in August. The rapper, whose legal name is William Roberts II, faces one felony count of battery by strangulation and one misdemeanor battery charge.
Ross voluntarily surrendered to Miami Beach police and was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center shortly after 6 a.m. on October 1. CBS12 reported from Miami-Dade court records that Ross and attorney Bradley Horenstein filed a written plea of not guilty and demanded a jury trial.
Ross later bonded out and denied the allegations while speaking to reporters outside the jail. “I’m totally innocent of these fabricated allegations made against me,” he said, according to WSVN 7News. His legal team has likewise said he is being wrongfully accused and asked that the case be allowed to proceed without prejudgment.
The arrest report describes an alleged August 28 confrontation involving a woman who said she had been in a relationship with Ross and living with him. The allegations have not been adjudicated, and Ross is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Police Say the Alleged Incident Began Over an Instagram Photo
According to the arrest affidavit reviewed by CBS12, the woman went to Miami Beach police on September 29 to report an incident she said had occurred about a month earlier. She told investigators that Ross became angry after seeing an Instagram photograph in which she had been tagged and questioned her about another person.
The woman alleged that Ross repeatedly struck her in the face and chest before grabbing and twisting the collar of her hoodie in a way that restricted her breathing. She also accused him of grabbing her by the ponytail, slamming her against a wall and striking her in the face hard enough to injure her lip.
CBS12 reported that the affidavit also describes an encounter in a bathroom before the woman gathered her belongings and left. Miami Beach Police spokesperson Christopher Bess later described the case publicly as an alleged verbal dispute over a social-media post that escalated physically.
Ross Denied the Allegations After Bonding Out
Ross appeared before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer on Thursday morning with Horenstein. The judge imposed a stay-away order barring Ross from contacting the alleged victim, and his attorney entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf.
The Associated Press reported that attorney Steve Sadow described Ross as wrongfully accused by an ex-girlfriend and pointed to the roughly one-month gap between the alleged incident and the police report.
After leaving jail, Ross went further personally. WSVN recorded him repeatedly describing himself as innocent and the accusations as fabricated before leaving in a vehicle.
Jazzma Kendrick Made Public Abuse Allegations Days Before the Arrest
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Ross’ arrest followed public allegations from his former girlfriend Jazzma Kendrick. On September 26, Kendrick posted photographs to Instagram Stories and accused Ross of physically abusing her during their relationship, including causing an injury to her lip. PEOPLE reported that Kendrick said the alleged incident led her to leave the relationship.
The FADER reported, citing Miami-Dade court records, that Kendrick made the September 29 report and that the court’s stay-away order applies to contact with her. Ross’ arraignment is scheduled for October 22.