American rapper Rick Ross has been arrested in Miami Beach, Florida, over allegations that he physically assaulted and choked a woman during a domestic dispute, leaving him facing felony and misdemeanor battery charges.
Ross, whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts II, voluntarily surrendered to Miami Beach Police before being booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at 6:10 a.m. on Thursday, October 1, 2026. The 50-year-old rapper faces one felony count of battery by strangulation and one misdemeanor count of battery, both listed as involving domestic violence.
The charges arise from an alleged incident at Ross' Star Island residence in Miami Beach on August 28, 2026.
According to the arrest affidavit cited by CBS News Miami, Ross and the woman had been in a relationship for approximately one year and were living together when the alleged confrontation occurred.
The woman accused Ross of repeatedly striking her and restricting her breathing during the altercation.
Reports citing law enforcement sources said the woman alleged that she was asleep when Ross woke her and confronted her about a photograph in which she had been tagged on social media.
She alleged that Ross became jealous over the photograph and questioned her about whether she was involved with another person.
The woman told police that Ross allegedly slapped her in the face when she denied cheating on him.
She further alleged that he struck her in the chest several times, choked her until she could not breathe, grabbed her by her ponytail and slammed her against a wall.
The allegations remain accusations and have not been established at trial.
Ross has denied wrongdoing and entered not-guilty pleas to both charges.
The woman reportedly provided police with photographs of injuries she said resulted from the alleged assault.
The alleged incident occurred on August 28, but according to Ross' lawyers, the police report was not filed until approximately one month later.
CBS Miami reported that the incident was reported to Miami Beach Police on September 29, 2026.
Following the complaint and police investigation, Ross voluntarily surrendered to authorities on Thursday morning.
He did not provide investigators with a statement concerning the woman's allegations when he surrendered, according to reports citing law enforcement sources.
Ross subsequently appeared remotely through Zoom before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer during a bond hearing on Thursday morning.
The judge said she had reviewed the arrest report and found probable cause for the case to proceed.
Ross' bond was set at $4,000 on the felony battery-by-strangulation charge and $1,000 on the misdemeanor battery charge, for a total of $5,000.
Some initial reports and jail listings cited a $6,000 figure, but CBS Miami's account of the bond hearing reported that Judge Glazer set the two bonds at $4,000 and $1,000 respectively.
The court also imposed restrictions on Ross while the criminal case remains pending.
Judge Glazer issued a stay-away order involving the alleged victim.
Under the order, Ross is prohibited from having direct or indirect contact with the woman, including communication through third parties, social media or other electronic means.
He was also ordered to remain away from her home, workplace or school.
The judge further ordered Ross to surrender any firearms and concealed weapons in his possession.
He is prohibited from possessing firearms while the case is pending and was ordered not to engage in criminal activity or use illegal drugs.
Ross' arraignment has been scheduled for October 22, 2026.
The rapper's legal team has strongly denied the accusations.
Defence attorney Steve Sadow said Ross was being wrongfully accused by a former girlfriend and urged the public not to reach conclusions before the allegations are tested through the judicial process.
“The ex did not even file a police report until a month after the claimed incident allegedly took place,” Sadow said.
“Mr. Roberts is innocent and has pled not guilty to the charges.”
The lawyer asked Ross' friends, fans and members of the public to allow the judicial process to take its course rather than prejudge the case.
Attorney Bradley Horenstein is also representing Ross in the case.
The arrest follows recent public allegations made by Ross' former girlfriend, model and content creator Jazzma Kendrick.
On September 26, Kendrick posted photographs on Instagram showing what appeared to be an injured and swollen lip, alleging that Ross had physically abused her during their relationship.
“The day Rick busted my lip and the day I left,” she wrote alongside one of the images.
Kendrick also encouraged women experiencing physical abuse to leave such relationships.
“If a man hits you one time, he will do it again,” she wrote.
Associated Press reported that Ross' lawyer described the woman behind the criminal accusation as an ex-girlfriend.
CBS Miami, citing the arrest affidavit, reported that Ross and the alleged victim had been in a relationship for about a year and were living together at the time of the alleged August incident.
Rick Ross is one of the most prominent figures in American hip-hop.
The Miami-area native rose to international prominence following the release of his hit single “Hustlin'” in 2006 and has since released multiple chart-topping albums and collaborated with numerous major artists.
The October 1 arrest is not Ross' first encounter with the criminal justice system.
In 2017, he pleaded no contest to kidnapping and assault charges arising from an earlier incident involving two groundskeepers at his property near Atlanta.
He was sentenced to probation in that case.
The latest case is separate from those earlier proceedings.
The current allegations centre specifically on what authorities describe as a domestic violence incident on August 28, 2026, at Ross' Miami Beach residence.
The sequence established by court records and police reporting is that the alleged confrontation occurred on August 28, the matter was reported to police on September 29, Ross voluntarily surrendered on October 1 and was booked at 6:10 a.m.
He subsequently appeared before Judge Glazer, who found probable cause, imposed bond and ordered him to stay away from the alleged victim.
Ross has not been convicted of either of the current charges.
He has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers maintain that the accusations are false.
The next scheduled stage of the criminal proceedings is his October 22 arraignment, where the case will continue through the Miami-Dade court system.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments