NEWSRick Ross Arrested on Strangulation and Battery Charges Following Ex-Girlfriend’s Abuse Allegations, Lawyers Say He’s Innocent
Jazzma Kendrick accused Ross of domestic violence.
Oct. 1 2026, Published 11:36 a.m. ET
Rapper Rick Ross has been arrested in Florida on domestic battery charges.
Ross, real name William Leonard Roberts II, is facing charges of battery by strangulation and battery, according to Miami-Dade jail records.
Rick Ross Accused of Battery by Ex-Girlfriend
Jazzma Kendrick showed images of the injuries Ross allegedly inflicted.
The 50-year-old rapper was publicly accused by ex-girlfriend Jazzma Kendrick of domestic violence days before the arrest. On September 28, Kendrick responded to a fan who said, “I’m seeing what Rick is seeing your [sic] so gorgeous,” with, "He saw a punching bag."
She also posted a photos showing her bruised lip, with captions, “the day Rick busted my lip and the day I left," and "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.”
"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. Value your life and leave," she said in another post.
Jazzma Kendrick Alleges Rick Ross Slapped and Choked Her
Ross turned himself in on October 1.
On September 29, the day after she posted the Instagram stories, Kendrick called the police and levied domestic violence allegations against Ross, per TMZ. Her complaint stems from an August 28 incident in which Ross allegedly woke her and was violent toward her in a jealous rage over a picture she was tagged in on social media.
Kendrick alleges Ross slapped her in the face as she denied cheating on him. She also says he “struck her in the chest several times, choked her to the point where she could not breathe, grabbed her by her ponytail and slammed her against a wall.”
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Rick Ross Denies the Allegations
Rick Ross is pleading not guilty.
Kendrick submitted photos of her injuries to police. Ross turned himself in on October 1.
He denied the allegations and is pleading not guilty to the charges.
His lawyers, Steve Sadow and Bradley Horenstein, told TMZ that Ross “is being wrongfully accused by an ex-girlfriend whose true motivations are unclear.”
"The ex did not even file a police report until a month after the claimed incident allegedly took place,” the lawyers added. “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.”
Rick Ross Has Faced Legal Issues Before
Rick Ross will be arraigned on October 22.
Ross' arraignment is scheduled for October 22. He is being held at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Florida and faces $5,000 and $1,000 bonds for the respective charges.
The "Hustlin'" rapper has been in legal trouble before.
In 2015, Ross and his bodyguard were arrested on kidnapping and assault charges after they allegedly beat a man with a handgun over money the man owed Ross.
He was sued by YouTuber DJ Vlad in 2008 for assault and battery.
