US rapper Rick Ross has denied allegations that he assaulted his former girlfriend after being arrested in Miami on domestic violence-related charges.
Ross, whose real name is William Leonard Roberts II, was arrested on Thursday, October 1, and booked at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on misdemeanor charges of domestic battery and battery by strangulation.
Following his release on bond, the rapper rejected the allegations, describing them as fabricated and insisting that he was innocent.
“I’m totally innocent of these fabricated allegations made against me,” Ross told reporters.
The arrest stems from allegations made by his former girlfriend, Jazzma Kendrick, who told police that the pair had a verbal dispute on August 28 following an Instagram post.
According to Kendrick, the disagreement escalated when Ross allegedly slapped her, struck her in the chest and pulled her by the ponytail before slamming her head onto the ground.
She told police that the incident left her with an injured lip and difficulty breathing. Kendrick had also posted photographs on Instagram that she said showed injuries sustained during the alleged confrontation, accusing Ross of treating her “like a punching bag.”
Ross subsequently appeared before Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Mindy S. Glazer, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges.
His attorneys, Bradley Horenstein and Steve Sadow, have also rejected the allegations and maintained that their client is innocent.
The lawyers questioned the circumstances surrounding Kendrick’s complaint, including the fact that the alleged incident was reported about a month after it occurred. They also argued that her motives remained unclear.
Ross, meanwhile, has urged that the allegations not be treated as established facts as the case proceeds through the judicial system.
The rapper said after his release that he intended to continue with his travel plans, including trips to Dubai and Paris.
The case remains subject to the judicial process, with the allegations yet to be proven in court.
