MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Rapper Rick Ross was arrested in Miami Beach early Thursday and charged with battery related to a domestic violence accusation, authorities said.
Ross, whose legal name is William Roberts II, faces a felony charge of battery by strangulation, as well as a misdemeanor battery charge, according to online court records.
An attorney for Ross, 50, said in a statement that his client 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,” defense attorney Steve Sadow said in the statement. “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.”
Ross was released from jail on a cash bond later Thursday, according to court records. An arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 22.
According to an arrest report, a woman told Miami Beach detectives that she had been living with Ross on Aug. 28, when he accused her of cheating on him and struck her multiple times. She said Ross also choked her with the collar of her shirt and slammed her into a wall. The woman said she was eventually able to leave the home and then returned later — after Ross left — to collect her belongings.
The woman filed a report with police on Tuesday, and Ross surrendered himself at the Miami Beach Police Station on Thursday morning.
Ross pleaded no contest in 2017 to aggravated assault after he was accused of forcing a man into a guesthouse at his suburban-Atlanta mansion in 2015 and beating him with a handgun, according to Georgia court records. Under a first-offender program in Georgia, the court issued an order exonerating Ross of guilt on that felony count.
Ross is a longtime South Florida resident who gained prominence in 2006 with his debut single “Hustlin’.”
The rapper and entrepreneur helped put Miami on the musical map in the early 2000s, when most hip-hop fans looked to Atlanta and Houston as Southern rap headquarters. “Hustlin’” was certified platinum twice by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and sparked a bidding war for Ross. He eventually signed with Def Jam Records, headed by Jay-Z.
Ross’ debut album, “Port of Miami,” also went platinum, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. It was the first in a series of chart-toppers, including 2008’s “Trilla” and 2009’s “Deeper Than Rap.” He has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards.
In 2008, he founded the influential label Maybach Music Group (MMG), boosting the careers of signees like Wale, Meek Mill and French Montana.
His most recent album, “Set In Stone,” was released in July.