BY Grace Zigah
American rapper Rick Ross has been arrested in Florida in connection with a domestic violence case.
The rapper, whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts II, turned himself in to authorities in Miami Beach on Thursday, October 1, 2026, and was booked at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
According to Miami-Dade County records, the 50-year-old faces two charges – one felony charge of battery by strangulation and one misdemeanour battery charge, both connected to domestic violence.
He has pleaded not guilty and was released on a combined bond of US$6,000 – US$5,000 for the felony charge and US$1,000 for the misdemeanour.
Ross maintains his innocence. His legal team has argued that he was wrongly accused and has urged the public not to draw conclusions before the case is heard in court.
The arrest follows allegations made publicly by his former girlfriend, Jazzma Kendrick.
In September, Kendrick accused the rapper of physically abusing her during their relationship and shared photographs of an injury to her lip on Instagram. However, it has not been independently established that her public allegations are the same incident underlying the current charges.
Authorities say the incident that led to the current case is alleged to have occurred in August 2026. Full details of the case have not been released and legal proceedings are ongoing.
Ross is scheduled to appear for arraignment on October 22, 2026.
The rapper, who built a major career in hip-hop with multiple commercially successful albums and his Maybach Music Group record label, released his latest album Set In Stone in July 2026.
