Rapper Rick Ross turned himself in to Miami Beach police on October 1, 2026, and was arrested on charges of one felony count of battery by strangulation and one misdemeanor count of battery in connection with a domestic violence accusation made by an ex-girlfriend. The 50-year-old entertainer, whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts II, pleaded not guilty to both charges and was later released on $5,000 bail.
According to police, the charges stem from an alleged incident on August 28 at a residence on Star Island in Miami Beach. The woman reported the incident on September 29, telling investigators that Ross struck her multiple times during an altercation and restricted her breathing by twisting the collar of her hoodie. Police said she provided photographs documenting injuries she alleged resulted from the encounter, and investigators reviewed evidence before determining there was probable cause for the arrest.
Ross appeared by video later on October 1 before Judge Mindy Glazer. When his attorney Bradley Horenstein asked that his client's release be expedited because Ross is a celebrity in a red jumpsuit, the judge made clear there would be no special treatment. Glazer told Ross she had no idea who he was and that he would be treated fairly just like everybody else in her court. She ordered Ross to stay away from the accuser while the case proceeds. An arraignment is scheduled for October 22.
Ross's attorneys, Horenstein and Steve Sadow, released a statement saying their client is being wrongfully accused by an ex-girlfriend whose true motivations are unclear. They noted that the woman did not file a police report until a month after the claimed incident allegedly took place, and they asked the public not to prejudge the case before it moves through the judicial process. Ross himself told reporters outside the jail that he is totally innocent of what he called fabricated allegations.
The arrest is the latest legal controversy for the Miami rapper, one of the most commercially successful hip-hop artists of the past two decades, known for hits like 'Hustlin'' and for building the Maybach Music Group label. Domestic violence charges against high-profile musicians routinely trigger intense public debate about accountability, due process, and the court of public opinion.
The allegations have not been proven in court, and Ross has denied them. The case will now proceed through the Miami-Dade court system, where prosecutors will have to weigh the photographic evidence and the delayed report against the defense's claim that the accusations are motivated by something other than the truth.