Rick Ross charged with battery after alleged attack on girlfriend

Rick Ross performs on Aug. 22 in Dallas.Ayisha Collins / Getty ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleOct. 1, 2026, 11:54 AM EDT / Updated Oct. 1, 2026, 1:01 PM EDTBy Matt Lavietes and Anthony CusumanoRapper Rick Ross was arrested Thursday after he was accused of beating his girlfriend at his Miami Beach home, according to authorities.

Ross, whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts II, was charged with felony battery by strangulation and misdemeanor battery in connection with a domestic violence incident at his home on Miami Beach’s exclusive Star Island, according to a statement and affidavit from the Miami Beach Police Department.

Police said the accuser reported that Ross, 50, struck her multiple times during an altercation on Aug. 28 and restricted her breathing by twisting the collar of her hoodie.

The woman, whom police did not name, reported the incident to police on Tuesday. Ross turned himself in Thursday morning. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

An attorney for Ross did not immediately return a request for comment.

The woman provided detectives with a sworn statement and photographs documenting her injuries, police said. A criminal affidavit identifies the woman as Ross’ girlfriend at the time of the incident.

On the morning of Aug. 28, Ross was “enraged” that his girlfriend was tagged in an Instagram photo, accused her of lying to him and slapped her across the face, the affidavit says.

Later that morning, according to the police record, Ross accused her of having a romantic relationship with someone she said she was “merely friends with.”

The woman told police that Ross then struck her in the chest several times and choked her “to the point she could not breathe by grabbing the collar of the hoodie she was wearing and twisting it,” the affidavit said.

Ross then grabbed her by her ponytail and slammed her against a wall, the affidavit says.

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decisionFOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummetedFOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlightFOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supportersFOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplementFOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio raceFOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wifeFOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledgeFOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before electionFOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound planeFOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agentsFOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source saysFOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years agoFOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stageFOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammatesFor SubscribersFOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decisionFOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummetedFOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlightFOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supportersFOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplementFOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio raceFOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wifeFOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledgeFOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before electionFOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound planeFOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agentsFOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source saysFOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years agoFOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stageFOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammatesShe told police she escaped the residence, returned and waited until Ross left before retrieving her belongings, according to the affidavit. The two dated for about a year, and lived together at the Star Island home at the time of the incident, the affidavit says.

Ross is best known for his breakout single “Hustlin’,” released in 2006, as well as “Aston Martin Music” and “Stay Schemin.” He’s received nine Grammy nominations.

The rapper’s bond was set at $5,000 for the battery by strangulation charge and $1,000 for the battery charge, according to online jail records.

“I’m totally innocent of these fabricated allegations made against me,” Ross said, leaving the jailhouse “I repeat: I’m totally innocent of these fabricated allegations made against me.”

Ross said he would be traveling to Dubai on Friday and in Paris on Saturday.

If you or someone you know is facing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence hotline for help at (800) 799-SAFE (7233), or go to www.thehotline.org for more. States often have domestic violence hotlines as well.

Matt LavietesI’m a reporter on NBC News’ breaking news team, covering crime, extreme weather, pop culture and more. I recently covered Hurricane Milton, which devastated the Tampa, Florida, metropolitan area, and the student-led protests at Columbia University.

Anthony Cusumano is the South Region Deputy Director for NBC News.