American rapper William Roberts, popularly known as Rick Ross, has been arrested in Miami Beach, Florida, over allegations of domestic violence involving his former girlfriend, Jazzma Kendrick.
Rick Ross was arrested on a felony charge of battery by strangulation and a misdemeanour count of battery, according to court records sighted by NBC News.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the arrest followed public allegations by Kendrick, a model and content creator, who accused the rapper of physically assaulting her during their relationship.
She posted in a series of Instagram stories on Sept. 26 that the rapper injured her lip during an incident and shared photographs showing an injury.
“The day Rick busted my lip and the day I left,” she wrote alongside the images.
She also warned women against remaining in abusive relationships, saying: “If a man hits you one time, he will do it again.
“Don’t give him the opportunity, value your life and leave.”
According to NBC News who cited the court documents, the alleged incident occurred on Aug. 28, while Kendrick reportedly filed a police report on Sept. 29.
She alleged that Ross slapped her repeatedly, struck her chest and grabbed her by the hair before pushing her against a wall and hitting her in the face, causing an injury to her lip.
She provided police with photographs of the alleged injuries.
Ross was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Centre on Thursday, according to Miami-Dade County jail records sighted by the news outlet.
His bond was listed at 6,000 dollars and he had been released on bail till his arraignment scheduled for Oct. 22.
His lawyer, Steve Sadow, described the allegations as false and questioned Kendrick’s motives, noting that the police report was filed about a month after the alleged incident.
“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,” Sadow said.
NAN reports that Ross, who rose to prominence with his 2006 hit single, ‘Hustlin’, is the founder of Maybach Music Group and has released several chart-topping albums.
The allegations remain subject to judicial proceedings.
