Rick Ross Arrested on Felony Strangulation Charge, Judge Shuts Down Attorney’s Celebrity Plea: ‘I Have No Idea Who You Are’
· Vice
On the morning of Thursday, October 1, 2026, Grammy-nominated rapper Rick Ross was arrested in Miami Beach. He’s facing charges of felony battery by strangulation and misdemeanor battery, which stem from recent domestic violence allegations. Ross, whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts II, was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at around 6 a.m. on Thursday. The rapper was taken into custody after turning himself in to police early Thursday morning.
Ross appeared before a judge via video call while his attorney, Bradley Horenstein, spoke with presiding Judge Mindy S. Glazer. The attorney told the judge his client was a celebrity, and the judge quickly replied, “So, what does that mean?” Horenstein suggested Ross’ celebrity might require an expedited legal proceeding, which made the judge furrow her brow.
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“Hi, Mr. Roberts,” Judge Glazer said to the rapper. “I have no idea who you are except as someone here in the court who’s going to be treated fairly just like everybody else.”
The Rap Icon is Starting to Become Known For Reasons Besides His Music
Rick Ross is best known for his 2005 hit “Hustlin'”, along with a wide range of collaborations and Billboard Hot 100 hits. However, this isn’t Ross’ first publicized arrest, and his lengthy back-and-forth with the legal system is becoming as ubiquitous as his early-2000s musical legacy. In 2008, he was arrested in Miami on marijuana and firearm charges. Two incidents also occurred in June 2015. First, he was arrested during a traffic stop for marijuana possession. Then, just two weeks later, Ross and his bodyguard were arrested and charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault, and aggravated battery.
This recent alleged domestic violence incident occurred in late August at the rapper’s home on Star Island. It’s an exclusive island neighborhood in South Florida. Ross and the victim have been in a relationship for a year. The two were living together at the time of the attack.
NBC6 South Florida News reports, “The arrest report details that the victim said on the morning of Aug. 28 she was woken up by Ross, who was ‘enraged’ because she was ‘tagged in a photo on Instagram.’ The victim said Ross ‘questioned her about lying to him and then proceeded to slap the victim in the face,’ later accusing her of being in a relationship with a person ‘she was merely friends with.”
That’s When The Situation Turned Violent
The arrest report states that at this point, Ross began striking his girlfriend as she continued to deny the accusations. Ross struck the victim in the chest and “also choked the victim to the point she could not breathe by grabbing the collar of the hoodie she was wearing and twisting it.” NBC6 South Florida further details the arrest report: “At one point, Ross is accused of grabbing the victim by her ponytail and slamming her against the wall, before striking her in the face as she was bent over, ‘causing a busted lip.’ He then pushed her to the floor and turned on the shower to try to spray her with the shower head.”
Following this, the victim left the home but returned shortly after. After Ross left the home, the victim left with her belongings. She provided photographic evidence of her injuries to the police. This is now included in the arrest report. Additionally, the victim contacted a friend to pick her up, who was denied access to the property.
In an Instagram post from Ross that has since been deleted, the friend appears to arrive at the front of the residence before being turned away. Security cameras captured the entire incident, and police have since collected the footage.
Ross’ attorney filed a not guilty plea. His arraignment is set for October 22.
Photo by Ayisha Collins/Getty Images
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