Rapper Rick Ross was arrested Thursday morning in Miami, Florida, on domestic violence-related charges, authorities confirmed. The 50-year-old artist, whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts II, faces one felony battery charge for alleged strangulation and one misdemeanor battery charge stemming from an alleged incident at his Star Island mansion.
Ross voluntarily surrendered to Miami Beach police before being taken into custody, according to authorities. He was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at 6:10 a.m. and later appeared by Zoom in Miami-Dade bond court. His bond was set at $5,000, and he was released later Thursday morning.
The charges stem from an alleged late-August altercation involving Ross and a woman with whom he had been in a relationship. Police said the incident was reported on September 29, roughly a month after it allegedly occurred. Ross’ attorneys have denied the allegations and said he is innocent.
Police Detail Alleged August Incident
🚨 Rick Ross arrested for battery in Miami.
Details: https://t.co/jHM8Bz72WH pic.twitter.com/pfebbedJ7q
— TMZ (@TMZ) October 1, 2026
According to the arrest affidavit, the woman told investigators that she and Rick Ross had been in a relationship for about a year and were living together at the time of the alleged incident.
She told police that on August 28, she was awakened around 7:44 a.m. by Ross, who was allegedly upset after she was tagged in an Instagram photo. According to the affidavit, Ross questioned her about whether she was lying to him before allegedly slapping her in the face.
The woman further alleged that Ross later confronted her in a bathroom about whether she was involved with another person. She told investigators that he struck her in the chest several times and restricted her breathing by grabbing and twisting the collar of the hoodie she was wearing.
The affidavit alleges that Ross then grabbed the woman’s ponytail and slammed her against a wall before striking her in the face. She told police the incident left her with a busted lip.
According to the report, the woman also alleged that Ross pushed her to the floor, turned on the shower and attempted to spray her with the shower head. She eventually left the bathroom and later gathered her belongings and left the residence after Ross departed, the affidavit states.
Evidence Cited In Arrest Report
🚨 📱 Rick Ross’s girlfriend Jazzma Kendrick went on Instagram live to explain how Rick Ross has turned her to a punching bag —accuses him of Bursting Her lip
🗣️”It’s always good until it isn’t. If a man hits you one time, he will do it again. Don’t give him the opportunity.… https://t.co/TOStvLZVOn pic.twitter.com/ugfU2aUOVu
— Lord Zeus CFC/RM (@LordZeus_Usulor) September 27, 2026
Police said the woman provided detectives with a sworn statement and timestamped photographs of her injuries during the investigation.
Investigators also reviewed surveillance footage from Ross’ Star Island residence. According to the arrest affidavit, the footage showed a friend arriving at the property to pick up the woman and being turned away.
Police said Ross later posted a photograph on Instagram that showed the same friend arriving at the property.
The woman involved in the allegations was identified in reports by her initials. She is model and content creator Jazzma Kendrick, who previously posted photographs on Instagram appearing to show an injured lip.
On September 26, Kendrick wrote in an Instagram Story, “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.”
Kendrick did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rick Ross’ Attorneys Deny Allegations
Ross’ legal team has rejected the accusations and urged the public not to reach conclusions before the case is resolved in court.
Attorney Steve Sadow said in a statement that Ross is being wrongfully accused by an ex-girlfriend whose motivations are unclear. He also pointed to the timing of the police report, noting that the alleged incident occurred about a month before it was reported.
“Mr. Roberts is innocent and has pled not guilty to the charges,” Sadow said, adding that Ross respectfully asked his friends, fans and the public to allow the judicial process to run its course.
Another attorney for Ross, Bradley Horenstein, also denied the allegations in an interview.
“All I can say is that the allegations are false. He’s innocent. Everything is going to come out,” Horenstein said.
Court Sets $5,000 Bond
Rick Ross speaks out after posting bail following his arrest over alleged domestic violence-related charges, claiming that he’s innocent:
“First and foremost, I am totally innocent of the fabricated allegations made against myself… I am totally confident that these fabricated… pic.twitter.com/R651JTR8mI
— HotNewHipHop (@HotNewHipHop) October 1, 2026
During Rick Ross’ bond hearing Thursday, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer said she had reviewed the arrest report and found probable cause in the case.
The judge set bond at $4,000 for the battery by strangulation count and $1,000 for the misdemeanor battery count. Ross was subsequently released.
As part of his release conditions, Ross was ordered to have no direct or indirect contact with the alleged victim, including through third parties, social media or other electronic communication. He was also ordered to stay away from her home, workplace and school.
The court further ordered Ross to surrender firearms and concealed weapons and prohibited him from possessing firearms while the case is pending.
His arraignment is scheduled for October 22.
Ross Has Faced Legal Issues Before
The latest case adds to a history of legal troubles for Ross. In 2015, he was charged in Georgia with kidnapping, aggravated assault and aggravated battery following allegations that he pistol-whipped a groundskeeper at his Atlanta-area estate.
Ross pleaded no contest to one felony count of aggravated assault. He was sentenced to time served for the approximately one week he had spent in jail and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.
A longtime Miami-area resident, Ross has remained a prominent figure in hip-hop since breaking through with his 2006 hit “Hustlin’.” He later founded Maybach Music Group and expanded his career into business and other ventures.
For Rick Ross, the latest battery charge now moves into the court system, with the October 22 arraignment set to be the next major proceeding in the case. Until then, the allegations against him remain unproven, while his attorneys continue to maintain that he is innocent.
Featured image: Jean Nelson/Deposit Photos
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