“Hustlin'” rapper Rick Ross was arrested on two battery charges on Thursday in Miami. According to court records obtained by The New York Times, Ross, whose real name is William Leonard Roberts, was arrested on a felony charge of battery by strangulation and a misdemeanor battery charge. He voluntarily surrendered himself on Thursday morning and pleaded not guilty to both charges. In video footage obtained by TMZ, the rapper’s lawyer appeared in court and asked Judge Mindy Glazer to expedite Ross’ release because of his celebrity status, but she denied the request. “I have no idea who you are except as someone here in the court who’s going to be treated fairly like everybody else here,” the judge said to Ross, who appeared virtually for the hearing. Ross was released on $5,000 bail, according to the Times.
News of Ross’ arrest comes after Jazzma Kendrick, his ex, reportedly claimed that he “busted” her lip in a series of posts on her Instagram stories. She didn’t specify when the alleged abuse happened. The Times reported that Ross’ arrest was related to an incident that occurred on August 28, when his ex-girlfriend claimed that Ross physically abused her and accused her of infidelity. Ross denied the allegations in a video posted on his Instagram story, saying: “First and foremost, I’m totally innocent of the fabricated allegations made against myself. I repeat, I am totally innocent with these fabricated allegations. “I have such an amazing team, and I’m totally confident that these fabricated allegations will be laid to rest.”
“William Roberts II, professionally known as Rick Ross, is being wrongfully accused by an ex-girlfriend whose true motivations are unclear,” Ross’ attorneys, Bradley Horenstein and Steve Sadow, said in a statement shared with Billboard. “The ex did not even file a police report until Sept. 29, a month after the claimed incident allegedly took place on Aug. 28, 2026. Mr. Roberts is innocent and has pled not guilty to the charges. He respectfully requests that his friends, fans and the general public not prejudge the situation and allow the judicial process to run its course.”
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