Rapper Rick Ross has been arrested in Miami after a woman accused him of striking her and restricting her breathing during an alleged domestic violence incident at his Star Island home in August, according to Miami Beach police.
Ross, whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts II, voluntarily surrendered to Miami Beach police on Thursday and was taken into custody. He was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at about 6:10 a.m.
The 50-year-old rapper faces one felony count of battery by strangulation and one misdemeanor count of battery. The allegations relate to an Aug. 28 incident that was reported to police on Sept. 29.
According to the arrest affidavit, the woman told investigators that she and Ross had been in a relationship for about a year and were living together when the alleged assault occurred.
She alleged that Ross became angry after she was tagged in an Instagram photo and slapped her in the face. She later told police that he struck her several times in the chest and restricted her breathing by grabbing and twisting the collar of her hoodie.
The affidavit further alleges that Ross grabbed the woman by her ponytail, slammed her against a wall and struck her in the face, causing a cut to her lip. She also alleged that he pushed her to the floor and attempted to spray her with a shower head.
Police said the woman provided a sworn statement and timestamped photographs of her injuries. Investigators also reviewed surveillance footage from the residence, according to the affidavit.
Ross has denied the allegations.
“First and foremost, I’m totally innocent of the fabricated allegations made against myself. I repeat, I am totally innocent of these fabricated allegations,” Ross said in a video posted on Instagram Stories.
His attorney, Bradley Horenstein, also rejected the allegations and urged the public to allow the legal process to unfold.
“All I can say is that the allegations are false. He’s innocent. Everything is going to come out,” Horenstein told CBS News Miami.
Ross appeared by Zoom in Miami-Dade bond court on Thursday. Judge Mindy Glazer found probable cause based on the arrest report and set his bond at $5,000—$4,000 for the felony charge and $1,000 for the misdemeanor.
Ross was later released on bond.
The judge also issued a stay-away order barring Ross from directly or indirectly contacting the alleged victim and ordered him to stay away from her home, workplace, and school.
He was also ordered to surrender firearms and prohibited from possessing them while the case is pending.
Ross is scheduled to be arraigned on Oct. 22.
