Rapper Rick Ross is maintaining his innocence after being arrested on battery charges. The arrest comes days after an ex-girlfriend claimed on social media that he hit and choked her.
Videos by Suggest
Ross was arrested in Miami on October 1 on charges of felony battery by strangulation and misdemeanor battery, TMZ reported. According to their police sources, an ex-girlfriend called the police on September 29, claiming he had been violent with her.
The woman told police the incident took place on August 28 while she was sleeping in the home they shared. Ross woke her up in a jealous rage over a picture she was tagged in on social media.
Things quickly became physical.
The woman alleged that Ross questioned her about lying to him before slapping her in the face. Later, he accused her of being in a relationship with someone else, and every time she denied it, he hit her.
According to the woman, Ross hit her in the chest several times, choked her until she couldn’t breathe, grabbed her by the ponytail, and slammed her against a wall. She also gave police pictures of her alleged injuries.
When Ross voluntarily turned himself in to police, he didn’t talk to police about the allegations.
“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,” his lawyers said in a statement.
Initially, Ross was being held in jail, despite his lawyers best efforts to get him released quickly. Judge Mindy Glazer told the rapper, “I have no idea who you are,” and assured him he’d be treated “just like everybody else here,” TMZ reported.
After being released, Ross made a video saying he is “totally innocent,” calling the allegations of abuse “fabricated.” He went on to say he planned to celebrate his release with “rigatoni and heavy marinara.”
Ross is expected to be arraigned on October 22.