Rick Ross Faces Felony Battery Charges in Miami

Rick Ross is facing serious legal trouble in Miami Beach after allegations from his former girlfriend, model, real estate professional and content creator Jazzma Kendrick moved from social-media accusations to an actual criminal case.

The 50-year-old rapper and Maybach Music Group founder,

whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts II, surrendered to Miami Beach police on Thursday, October 1, 2026. He was booked on one felony count of battery by strangulation and one misdemeanor battery charge stemming from an alleged domestic-violence incident that authorities say occurred on August 28.

Ross has pleaded not guilty and maintains that he is innocent.

But the arrest came only days after Kendrick publicly accused Ross of physically abusing her, posted photographs of an injured lip and described herself as having been treated like a “punching bag.”

And that is where this story gets much bigger.

WHAT JAZZMA KENDRICK SAYS HAPPENED

According to the arrest affidavit reviewed by multiple news organizations, Kendrick and Ross had reportedly been in a relationship for roughly a year and were living together at his Star Island residence when the alleged August 28 incident occurred.

Kendrick told investigators that Ross woke her that morning after becoming angry over an Instagram photo in which she had been tagged.

According to the affidavit, Ross allegedly questioned Kendrick about whether she had lied to him and slapped her repeatedly in the face.

The confrontation allegedly continued later that morning.

Kendrick told investigators that Ross accused her of having a relationship with someone she described as only a friend. She alleged that Ross then struck her in the chest several times.

The most serious allegation resulted in the felony charge.

According to the affidavit, Kendrick alleged that Ross grabbed the collar of the hoodie she was wearing and twisted it tightly enough around her neck that she could not breathe.

She further alleged that Ross grabbed her by her ponytail, slammed her against a wall and struck her in the face while she was bent over, causing her lip to split.

Authorities say Kendrick eventually left the residence and later returned to retrieve her belongings after Ross was gone.

Investigators also say Kendrick provided photographs of her injuries containing timestamps that corresponded with the date of the alleged incident.

JAZZMA TOOK THE ALLEGATIONS PUBLIC BEFORE ROSS WAS ARRESTED

Before news of the criminal charges broke, Kendrick had already started talking publicly.

On September 26, she posted several Instagram Stories discussing her relationship with Ross.

When someone complimented Kendrick and commented that they could understand what Ross saw in her, Kendrick responded:

“He saw a punching bag.”

She then shared an image showing what appeared to be an injured lip and identified it as the day Ross allegedly busted her lip — and the day she left him.

But Kendrick didn't stop at accusing Ross.

She turned the posts into a warning to other women about staying after the first incident of physical violence.

Kendrick wrote that a man who puts his hands on her is someone who never loved her and never will. She warned women not to give an abusive partner another opportunity and told them to value their lives and leave.

A few days later, Kendrick returned to social media after receiving an outpouring of messages.

This time, she revealed another important detail: the alleged incident had happened approximately a month before she went public.

“I want you to know I'm okay,” Kendrick wrote.

She explained that she had had time to process what allegedly happened and begin healing, adding that speaking publicly had not been easy but that the support she received reassured her about her decision to speak.

That timeline closely corresponds with the August 28 date now identified in the criminal case.

Police records indicate Kendrick filed her report on September 29. Ross's defense attorneys have specifically pointed to that delay as part of their response to the allegations.

THEN TIA KEMP ENTERED THE CHAT

And anybody familiar with Rick Ross's history probably knew it wouldn't be long before Tia Kemp had something to say.

Kemp, who shares a son with Ross and has very publicly feuded with him for years, surprisingly did not automatically side with Kendrick.

She questioned Kendrick's version of events.

Responding underneath a post about the allegations, Kemp suggested the dispute may instead have involved Kendrick being told to leave Ross's home.

“Ladies when that man say Go Home.... Lawddd..,” Kemp wrote.

She went on to describe the painful experience of leaving a relationship with your belongings packed up and suggested some women want to remain in “the Mansion 4ever,” before telling women to go home and keep a job.

Then Kemp took things considerably further during a livestream.

Despite her own notoriously contentious relationship with Ross, Kemp said she simply did not believe Kendrick's allegations.

Kemp claimed Ross wasn't going to hit anyone and directly accused Kendrick of causing her own injury, telling her:

“You fired on yourself, girl.”

Kemp also pointed to the number of cameras she believes surround Ross's property and suggested video surveillance could become important in determining what happened. She additionally made disparaging allegations about women Ross dates and said she planned to travel to Florida and speak with Ross and his mother.

To be clear, Kemp has not presented publicly verified evidence establishing that Kendrick injured herself. Her comments represent Kemp's personal opinion and allegation, not a finding by investigators.

And the police affidavit tells a substantially different story: investigators documented Kendrick's allegations and said she supplied timestamped photographs corresponding with the alleged incident.

THE TIMING MAKES TIA'S COMMENTS EVEN MORE INTERESTING

Kemp made those comments before Ross was arrested.

At that point, much of the public conversation centered around Kendrick's Instagram Stories.

Days later, however, the situation became a criminal case involving a felony strangulation charge.

Ross voluntarily surrendered to Miami Beach police on October 1, two days after Kendrick filed her police report.

That doesn't establish Ross's guilt — the allegations still have to be tested through the court system — but it significantly changed the context surrounding what initially looked to social media like another celebrity relationship dispute.

RICK ROSS'S SIDE

Ross's attorneys strongly dispute Kendrick's account.

Attorney Steve Sadow said Ross was being “wrongfully accused” by an ex-girlfriend and questioned her motivations.

His legal team has also emphasized that Kendrick waited approximately one month after the alleged August 28 incident before filing her police report on September 29.

Ross has entered a not-guilty plea, and his attorneys have urged fans and the public not to prejudge him while the criminal case proceeds.

The delay in reporting is therefore likely to become part of the defense's narrative.

However, a delayed report does not itself determine whether an allegation is true or false. Investigators proceeded with the case after interviewing Kendrick and reviewing the evidence presented to them.

THE COURTROOM HAD ITS OWN MOMENT

Ross appeared before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer following his surrender.

During the hearing, his attorney reportedly raised Ross's celebrity status while seeking to expedite his release and expressing concerns about keeping him incarcerated.

Judge Glazer wasn't particularly impressed by the celebrity argument.

She told Ross:

“I have no idea who you are.”

The judge nevertheless granted bond and ordered Ross to stay away from his accuser. The stay-away order reportedly includes contact through social media.

Court records cited by the Associated Press and PEOPLE reported Ross's cash bond at $5,000, although some outlets have reported a $6,000 figure. Ross was released later Thursday.

His arraignment is scheduled for October 22.

ROSS SPOKE AFTER GETTING OUT

Ross wasn't exactly hiding from cameras after his release.

Speaking to reporters, he declared:

“I'm totally innocent.”

He then quickly shifted into classic Rick Ross mode, talking about his upcoming travel plans, including trips to Dubai and Paris, and even discussing what he planned to eat when he returned home.

Ross also addressed the attention surrounding his arrest on social media, joking about the media presence and proclaiming that he was “bigger than Justin Bieber.”

So while his attorneys are taking the allegations seriously in court, Ross's public-facing response has mixed a firm denial with the larger-than-life persona his fans know him for.

50 CENT ALSO REACTED — BECAUSE OF COURSE HE DID

There was almost no chance a Rick Ross controversy was going to unfold online without 50 Cent appearing somewhere in the comments.

The two rappers have maintained one of hip-hop's longest-running public feuds.

50 initially reacted after Kendrick's accusations surfaced, and following Ross's arrest he again mocked his longtime rival online. His response became another side story surrounding the case, although the underlying allegations themselves are obviously much more serious than their ongoing rap feud.

JAZZMA AND ROSS HAD PUBLICLY RECONCILED BEFORE THE ALLEGED INCIDENT

Another important piece of context is that this wasn't simply a brief private relationship.

Ross and Kendrick had been publicly linked since at least August 2025.

Their relationship reportedly became on-and-off, but the two eventually reconciled and appeared together publicly again.

In June 2026, they walked the red carpet together at the BET Awards.

Only about two months later came the August 28 incident Kendrick now describes as the day the relationship effectively ended.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

There are now essentially three different narratives circulating around this case.

Kendrick says she was physically assaulted, choked and left with a busted lip, and she says the incident caused her to leave the relationship.

Ross says he is completely innocent, while his attorneys argue he has been wrongfully accused and have questioned both Kendrick's motivations and the month-long delay before she contacted police.

And Tia Kemp — despite having spent years publicly battling Ross herself — says she doesn't believe Kendrick and has even alleged that Kendrick caused her own injury.

But social-media commentary won't decide what happened.

The criminal case will.

For now, the confirmed legal facts are that Ross surrendered to police, has been charged with felony battery by strangulation and misdemeanor battery, has pleaded not guilty, was released on bond and has been ordered to stay away from his accuser. His arraignment is scheduled for October 22.

Meanwhile, Kendrick's public message has remained centered on leaving relationships once physical violence begins.

And that may ultimately become one of the most consequential parts of this entire story: what started as a few Instagram Stories and celebrity gossip is now an active criminal proceeding involving a felony allegation.

Ross is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

Ross appeared via Zoom before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer and pleaded not guilty to the charges. His attorney, Bradley Horenstein, has vehemently denied the allegations, maintaining the rapper's innocence, stating he is being wrongfully accused by an ex-girlfriend, and urging the public to let the judicial process run its course.