Rick Ross arrested in Miami Beach on battery and strangulation charges

Rick Ross was arrested in Miami Beach, Florida, on Thursday, October 1, 2026, over an alleged domestic incident at his Star Island home in August. The rapper faces a felony count of battery by strangulation and a misdemeanor count of battery. His attorney denies the allegations, and a judge has ordered Ross to stay away from the woman involved while the case proceeds.

Ross, whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts II, voluntarily surrendered at Miami Beach Police headquarters before being taken into custody, CBS Miami reported, citing police. He was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at 6:10 a.m. local time. The charges concern an alleged incident on August 28 that was reported to police on September 29.

What the Miami Beach arrest affidavit alleges

According to CBS Miami’s account of the arrest affidavit, the woman told investigators that she and Ross had been in a relationship for about a year and were living together when the alleged incident occurred. She said Ross woke her at about 7:44 a.m. on August 28, angry that she had been tagged in an Instagram photo, and slapped her.

The woman alleged that Ross later questioned her in a bathroom, struck her chest several times and restricted her breathing by grabbing and twisting the collar of her hoodie. She also alleged that he pulled her by the ponytail, slammed her against a wall and struck her face, splitting her lip. These are allegations recorded in the affidavit, not findings that the alleged acts occurred.

According to the affidavit as reported by CBS Miami, the video showed a friend arriving to pick up the woman and being turned away. The affidavit also says Ross later posted an Instagram image showing the friend’s arrival. The reported video and photographs form part of the police account; their significance in the case has not been determined at trial.

Ross’s response and the October 1 bond hearing

Ross’s attorney, Bradley Horenstein, rejected the allegations in a statement to CBS Miami. ‘All I can say is that the allegations are false. He’s innocent. Everything is going to come out,’ Horenstein said. He asked that the legal process be allowed to play out before people reached a judgment.

Ross appeared by video in Miami-Dade bond court on Thursday. CBS Miami reported that Judge Mindy Glazer said she had reviewed the arrest report and found probable cause. That finding allowed the case to proceed at this stage; it was not a determination of guilt. Horenstein noted during the hearing that Ross is a celebrity and asked for his release to be expedited.

Glazer set bond at $4,000 on the felony charge and $1,000 on the misdemeanor charge, a total of $5,000, according to CBS Miami’s account of the hearing. The outlet reported that Ross bonded out late Thursday morning. The Guardian had earlier reported a $6,000 figure from jail and court records; the figures differ, and the $5,000 figure is the amount CBS Miami reported from the hearing.

The judge also ordered Ross to have no direct or indirect contact with the alleged victim, including through third parties, social media or other electronic means. He was ordered to stay away from the person’s home, workplace and school. CBS Miami reported that the judge ordered Ross to surrender firearms and concealed weapons and prohibited him from possessing firearms while the case is pending.

Earlier public allegation and the next court date

Before the arrest, Ross’s former girlfriend Jazzma Kendrick publicly accused him of physical abuse. The FADER reported that Kendrick posted on September 26 that Ross had ‘busted her lip’ and shared images of injuries. The Guardian also reported her account of a swollen lip. Those statements are Kendrick’s allegations; neither her posts nor the arrest establish that Ross committed the acts alleged.

The reports identify Ross as a longtime Miami resident and a prominent rapper. The Guardian said he has had five No. 1 albums and released his 12th studio album, Set In Stone, in July. The arrest brings a criminal case against him into court, but the charges remain allegations and his attorney says they are false.

Ross’s arraignment is scheduled for October 22, according to CBS Miami, The FADER and The Guardian. The available reporting does not establish how the case will be resolved. For now, the scheduled court appearance and the conditions imposed at the bond hearing are the next reported steps in the proceedings.