BREAKING: Rick Ross Arrested in Miami Battery Case; Longtime Attorney Steve Sadow Pushes Back

By Investigative Reporting Dennis Byron | Hip Hop Enquirer
October 1, 2026

Rick Ross is facing serious criminal charges in Miami—and his legal team is pushing back against the allegations.

The rapper was arrested Thursday, October 1, on one felony count of battery by strangulation and one misdemeanor count of battery. Reporting citing Miami-Dade records lists a combined bond of $6,000 and an October 22 arraignment.

Ross is represented by his longtime attorney Steve Sadow, alongside Bradley Horenstein. According to TMZ’s reporting, as reproduced by Just Jared, Ross pleaded not guilty. His attorneys say the accusations are false, question his former girlfriend’s motives and emphasize that she reported the alleged incident approximately a month afterward.

“Mr. Roberts is innocent and has pled not guilty to the charges,” the attorneys said in their statement. They also urged the public to allow the judicial process to proceed before reaching conclusions.

According to Page Six’s account of TMZ’s reporting, a former girlfriend told police that an August 28 confrontation began over a social media photograph. She alleged that Ross slapped her, struck her chest, choked her and slammed her against a wall. Those accusations have not been proven in court.

The arrest follows public allegations from Ross’s ex-girlfriend, Jazzma Kendrick. PEOPLE reported that Kendrick posted photographs of an alleged lip injury on Instagram and accused Ross of physical abuse. She also encouraged women experiencing abuse to leave unsafe relationships.

However, authorities had not publicly identified the alleged victim in the criminal case in the reporting reviewed. Kendrick’s social media allegations should therefore not automatically be treated as confirmed details of the charges.

For now, Ross faces allegations that his defense team firmly disputes. An arrest is not a conviction, and he remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty.