Rapper Rick Ross arrested on domestic violence battery charges in Miami

Rapper Rick Ross was arrested in Miami Beach early Thursday, October 1st, on felony battery by strangulation and misdemeanor battery charges, both classified as domestic violence offenses. Ross, whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts II, was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at 6:10 a.m. and held on $6,000 bail ($5,000 for the felony charge, $1,000 for the misdemeanor).

According to an arrest affidavit cited by multiple outlets, a woman who had been in a relationship with Ross for approximately one year reported to police that an alleged incident occurred on August 28th. The woman told authorities that Ross became enraged after discovering she had been tagged in an Instagram photograph, and that he accused her of being in a relationship with another man. She alleged that Ross then struck her multiple times—including slapping her face, striking her chest repeatedly, grabbing her by the ponytail and slamming her against a wall, and choking her by twisting the collar of her hoodie around her neck to the point she could not breathe. The woman also reported that Ross struck her face while she was bent over, causing a lip injury, and attempted to spray her with a showerhead. She provided police with photographs of alleged injuries.

Ross's legal team, represented by attorneys Bradley Horenstein and Steve Sadow, denied the allegations. "All I can say is that the allegations are false. He's innocent. Everything is going to come out," Horenstein stated. Sadow added in a statement that the ex-girlfriend did not file a police report until a month after the claimed incident, and that Ross's "true motivations are unclear." Ross has pleaded not guilty to both charges. His arraignment is scheduled for October 22nd.

The arrest comes days after Ross's ex-girlfriend Jazzma Kendrick publicly accused him of physical abuse on social media, posting images of a swollen lip she alleged was caused by Ross during an incident approximately one month prior. Kendrick wrote on Instagram that she left Ross after the incident and described him as treating her like a "punching bag." It is unclear whether Kendrick's public allegations are connected to the criminal charges filed in the current case.

Ross, 50, is a Grammy-nominated rapper born in Miami who gained prominence in 2006 with his debut single "Hustlin'," which was certified double platinum. His debut album "Port of Miami" debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. He has released 12 studio albums, most recently "Set In Stone" in July 2026, and founded the influential label Maybach Music Group in 2008.