Photo Credit: Rick Ross / Instagram
Rick Ross speaks out following his arrest for felony and misdemeanor domestic violence charges in Miami Beach, denying the allegations against him.
Rapper Rick Ross was arrested in Miami Beach on Thursday and faces a felony battery charge and a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from a woman’s account of an incident at his home in August. The “Hustlin’” rapper has pleaded not guilty and denies the allegations against him.
“First and foremost, I’m totally innocent of the fabricated allegations made against myself,” Ross said in a video posted to his Instagram Stories this afternoon. “I have such an amazing team, and I’m totally confident that these fabricated allegations will be laid to rest.”
The woman told investigators that Ross, whose legal name is William Roberts II, assaulted her during an argument in late August, alleging that he hit her chest and twisted the collar of her hoodie to restrict her breathing. Police said she gave detectives a sworn statement and photographs of her injuries, and that law enforcement also reviewed video from the home as part of the investigation.
But Ross’ legal team said the woman didn’t report the alleged incident until about a month later, which they assert means the allegations were fabricated.
“Mr. Roberts is innocent and has pled not guilty to the charges,” said Ross’ attorney Steve Sadow. “He respectfully requests that his friends, fans, and the general public not prejudge the situation and allow the judicial process to run its course.”
According to the arrest affidavit, Ross and the alleged victim were in a relationship for about a year and were living together at the time of the incident. The woman told investigators that on August 28, Ross angrily awakened her that morning over a photo she had been tagged in on Instagram. She said Ross questioned whether she was lying to him and allegedly slapped her in the face.
Later that morning, she said Ross accused her of being involved with someone else and questioned her about it while she was in the bathroom. Besides allegedly striking her in the chest and restricting her breathing by twisting the collar of her hoodie, she told investigators that Ross grabbed her by her ponytail and slammed her against a wall before striking her again in the face.
Afterward, she says he pushed her to the floor, turned on the shower, and attempted to spray her with the showerhead. She was eventually able to leave the bathroom, gathered her belongings, and left the residence once Ross had left, the affidavit states.
At a hearing that took place Thursday, a judge found probable cause to proceed and set Ross’ bond at $5,000. Ross was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center early Thursday morning. He has also been ordered to avoid contact with the woman and surrender any firearms while the investigation continues.
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