Rapper faces felony battery by strangulation and misdemeanor battery charges after alleged August altercation
By IBN News
MIAMI, FLORIDA — American rapper Rick Ross has been arrested in Miami Beach, Florida, on domestic violence-related charges following an alleged altercation with a woman at his Star Island residence in August.
Ross, whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts II, was taken into custody early Thursday, October 1, 2026, after voluntarily surrendering to Miami Beach Police. 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, with both charges classified as domestic violence matters.
According to the police arrest affidavit reported by CBS Miami, the allegations relate to an incident on August 28 at Ross’s Star Island home. The woman told investigators that Ross became angry after seeing that she had been tagged in an Instagram photograph and allegedly questioned her about whether she was being untruthful.
She alleged that Ross slapped her and later struck her several times before restricting her breathing by grabbing and twisting the collar of her clothing. The affidavit further alleges that he grabbed her by the hair, slammed her against a wall and struck her in the face, causing a cut or swollen lip.
The woman reportedly provided police with a sworn statement and timestamped photographs of injuries. Investigators also reviewed surveillance footage from the residence, according to the arrest affidavit.
Ross’s lawyers have denied the allegations. His attorney, Bradley Horenstein, said the accusations were false and urged the public not to reach conclusions before the case is resolved. Ross has pleaded not guilty.
A Miami-Dade judge set Ross’s bond at $4,000 on the battery-by-strangulation charge and $1,000 on the misdemeanor battery charge, bringing the total to $5,000. The judge also ordered Ross to stay away from the alleged victim and prohibited direct or indirect contact with her, including through social media or third parties.
Ross was subsequently released on bond. His arraignment is scheduled for October 22, 2026.
The arrest came days after Ross’s former girlfriend Jazzma Kendrick made public allegations of physical abuse on Instagram and shared photographs of an injured lip. However, authorities and current court reporting have not established that those social-media allegations are necessarily the same incident underlying Ross’s present charges.
The case remains pending, and the allegations against Ross have not been proven in court.
