Key Takeaways
- Rick Ross pleaded not guilty on October 30 to a misdemeanor battery/domestic violence charge and denied the assault allegations.
- Florida prosecutors dropped his original felony battery by strangulation and misdemeanor battery charges, leaving the newly filed misdemeanor count.
- The case follows allegations of an August assault at his Miami home; model Jazzma Kendrick also accused him publicly and shared a photo of her bruised lip.
After Rick Ross turned himself into police earlier this month on domestic violence charges, prosecutors have now revealed he will only face one charge of misdemeanor battery/domestic violence.
According to documents seen by Complex, the state of Florida has dropped the felony battery by strangulation and misdemeanor battery charges against the rapper, which were filed upon his arrest earlier this month. However, they've since filed a misdemeanor charge of battery/domestic violence. In an arraignment on Friday (October 30), he pleaded not guilty to the charge.
In the initial arrest report, Rozay was accused of assaulting his then girlfriend after they got into a heated argument at his home in Miami in August. His defense attorney has reiterated that his client is innocent. "Mr. Ross is innocent," said Brad Horenstein. "There are serious doubts about this case. These are fabrications. We asked you to hold your judgment and wait because the truth will come out." Rick Ross also denied the allegations.
The Miami rapper's arrest arrived shortly after his on-and-off girlfriend, model Jazzma Kendrick, accused him of putting his hands on her.
Last month, Kendrick took to her Instagram Stories with a post that showed her replying to a commenter who said: "I'm seeing what Rick is seeing [you're] so gorgeous."
In her response, she wrote: "He saw a punching bag," and she later shared a photo showing herself with a bruised lip and wrote: "The day Rick busted my lip and the day I left."
