Rapper Rick Ross (legal name: William Leonard Roberts II) on Thursday pleaded not guilty to felony battery by strangulation and a misdemeanor battery charge in Miami-Dade County court. The charges stem from an alleged domestic violence incident reported to Miami Beach police on September 29, with the alleged assault occurring on August 28 at Ross’s residence on Star Island.
Ross, 50, voluntarily surrendered to authorities at the Miami Beach Police Department headquarters at 6:10 a.m. and was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. His bond was set at $5,000, and he remains in custody pending an arraignment hearing scheduled for October 22.
Core allegations and timeline
According to the Miami Beach Police Department arrest affidavit, the alleged victim—a woman Ross had been in a relationship with for about a year and with whom he lived—reported that Ross became enraged after seeing her tagged in an Instagram photo on the morning of August 28. The affidavit states Ross confronted her, accused her of lying, and slapped her in the face. Later that morning, Ross allegedly accused her of being in a romantic relationship with someone else, despite her denials, and struck her in the chest multiple times.
The woman told police Ross restricted her breathing by twisting the collar of her hoodie to the point she could not breathe, grabbed her by the ponytail, and slammed her against a wall. She reported suffering a split lip and provided police with photographs documenting her injuries. The affidavit describes the incident as occurring between 7:44 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. at the Star Island residence.
The accuser told investigators she escaped the residence, returned later, and waited until Ross left before retrieving her belongings. Police confirmed the woman provided a sworn statement and photo documentation of her injuries.
Legal response and defense
Ross entered a not guilty plea during his court appearance, and his attorney, Bradley Horenstein, filed the plea on his behalf. The judge ordered Ross to stay away from the accuser as a condition of his release. Horenstein did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A separate statement attributed to Ross’s legal team—including attorney Steve Sadow—was issued to multiple outlets. The statement claims Ross is being wrongfully accused by an ex-girlfriend, noting that no police report was filed until a month after the alleged incident. The statement asserts Ross is innocent and requests that the public refrain from prejudging the case while the judicial process unfolds.
Bail, custody, and next steps
Ross was held on a $5,000 bond for the felony charge and a $1,000 bond for the misdemeanor charge, though his legal team is reportedly working to secure his release. The arraignment is scheduled for October 22, where formal charges will be read and a trial date may be set.
Ross, a Miami-area native, rose to prominence with his 2006 debut album Port of Miami and has since built a career as a rapper, record label executive (Maybach Music Group), and Grammy-nominated artist. His legal history includes prior arrests, though details of those cases were not included in the current affidavit.