Rapper Rick Ross was arrested in South Florida on Thursday after his former girlfriend accused him of physically attacking and choking her during an alleged confrontation at their Miami Beach home.
Ross, whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts II, was booked into Miami-Dade County jail on Oct. 1. Court records show the 50-year-old rapper faces a felony charge of battery by strangulation and a misdemeanor battery charge connected to a domestic violence allegation.
Ross has pleaded not guilty and was released after posting bond. His arraignment is currently scheduled for Oct. 22.
The allegations surfaced publicly just days after Ross’ ex-girlfriend, model and social media personality Jazzma Kendrick, accused him of physically abusing her during their relationship.
According to an affidavit, the alleged victim is identified in court documents only by the initials “J.K.” She told authorities that she and Ross had been dating for roughly a year and were living together when the alleged incident occurred on Aug. 28.
The woman claimed she was sleeping when Ross woke her and became angry after seeing that she had been tagged in a photograph on Instagram.
According to her account to investigators, Ross questioned her about whether she had lied to him and allegedly slapped her across the face.
She claimed the dispute continued later that morning when Ross accused her of having a relationship with another man whom she described as only a friend.
The affidavit alleges Ross struck the woman several times in the chest before grabbing the collar of the hoodie she was wearing and twisting it around her neck, choking her to the point that she could not breathe.
She further alleged that Ross grabbed her by her ponytail, slammed her against a wall and struck her in the face while she was bent over, leaving her with an injured lip.
Police were reportedly provided with photographs of the alleged injuries. According to PEOPLE, authorities said the timestamps on those images were consistent with the date of the alleged confrontation.
Ross has strongly denied the accusations.
His attorney, Steve Sadow, said the rapper was “wrongfully accused” and questioned why the alleged incident was not reported to police until approximately a month later.
Sadow said Ross maintains his innocence and has entered not-guilty pleas, asking the public not to reach conclusions before the case is heard in court.
Ross himself also maintained his innocence after leaving jail Thursday, telling reporters he was “totally innocent.”
During his court appearance, a judge ordered Ross to have no contact with the alleged victim while the criminal case proceeds, according to reports.
The case comes only days after Kendrick publicly accused Ross of abuse on Instagram.
In a series of posts, Kendrick shared photographs that she said showed an injury to her lip and alleged that Ross was responsible. She also urged others experiencing abuse to leave dangerous relationships rather than giving an abusive partner another opportunity to hurt them.
Kendrick and Ross had been publicly linked since at least 2025 and were photographed together at events during their relationship.
The timing of her social media allegations quickly attracted attention, but the criminal allegations against Ross remain accusations and have not been proven in court.
Ross is one of the best-known names to emerge from Miami’s hip-hop scene.
He broke through nationally with his 2006 hit “Hustlin’,” followed by his debut album “Port of Miami,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. He later founded Maybach Music Group and has received nine Grammy nominations during his career.
The rapper released his latest album, “Set In Stone,” earlier this year.
Ross is now expected to return to court later this month as the domestic violence case moves forward.