A few pictures on Instagram Stories were the first. Model and content creator Jazzma Kendrick shared pictures of a swollen lip over the course of a weekend in late September, stating that she had broken up with Rick Ross after he had injured her. The caption was succinct and direct. Those posts became a criminal case in a matter of days.
On Thursday, October 1, Ross, 50, whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts II, turned himself in to Miami Beach police. He is charged with both a misdemeanor battery and a felony battery by strangulation. He was freed on a $5,000 bond after entering a not guilty plea. His accuser, who only goes by “J.K.” in the charging documents, was ordered by a judge to avoid him.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Ex-girlfriend | Jazzma Kendrick, 39, model and content creator |
| Court identification | “J.K.” in charging documents |
| Rapper’s legal name | William Leonard Roberts II |
| Rapper’s age | 50 |
| Alleged incident date | August 28, 2026 |
| Location of alleged incident | Couple’s shared home in Miami Beach |
| Kendrick’s Instagram posts | Late September 2026, showing an injured lip |
| Police report filed | September 29, 2026 |
| Surrender to police | October 1, 2026, Miami Beach |
| Charges | Felony battery by strangulation; misdemeanor battery |
| Plea | Not guilty |
| Bond | $5,000 |
| Court order | Judge ordered Ross to stay away from his accuser |
| Ross’s attorney | Steve Sadow |
| Defense position | Allegations are false; ex-girlfriend’s motives unclear |
| Relationship timeline | Linked since at least August 2025; reportedly lived together about a year |
| Public appearance together | Florida launch event for RR22, August 2025 |
| Arraignment date | October 22, 2026 |
| Earlier case | 2015 kidnapping and battery charges in Georgia; 2017 no contest plea to misdemeanors; five years probation |
| Support resource | National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 |
These records detail an August 28 morning at the couple’s joint residence. The affidavit claims that Ross woke her up upset because she had been tagged in an Instagram photo. She claims that every time she denied his accusations that she was seeing someone else, the violence got worse. According to the filing, she was struck in the chest, slapped, and had her hoodie collar twisted so tightly that she was unable to breathe. It also claims that she was struck in the face, splitting her lip, and slammed against a wall by her ponytail.
She leaves the house at the end of her story. She reportedly waited until Ross left, gathered her belongings, and left after a friend who had come to pick her up was turned away. She provided pictures of her injuries with timestamps that matched the date, according to the authorities. A judge and jury, not a headline, will determine how much that detail matters.
The story from Ross’s perspective is different. According to his lawyer, Steve Sadow, the rapper is being falsely accused by an ex-girlfriend whose intentions are unknown. Additionally, he made note of the fact that no police report was submitted until September 29, a month after the purported incident. It’s a valid point to make. It’s also true that victims of domestic abuse frequently put off calling the police for reasons unrelated to whether or not anything happened. Nothing is resolved by either fact.
The date of the arraignment is October 22. Until then, there are numerous people with opinions, an affidavit, and a denial.
The actual relationship was widely known. Since at least August 2025, when they were spotted together at a Florida launch event for his high-end bag and accessory line, RR22, Kendrick and Ross have been connected. They had reportedly been living together for a year at the time of the alleged incident. This has landed the way it has because, from the outside, nothing about that picture seemed out of the ordinary.
Ross has previously appeared in court. After two employees accused him and a bodyguard of pistol-whipping them at his Georgia estate in 2015, he was charged with kidnapping and aggravated battery. They accepted a five-year probationary period in 2017 after entering a no contest plea to misdemeanor kidnapping and assault. It would be unjust to treat that history as evidence in this case. Nevertheless, it explains why a lot of readers are interested.
It’s difficult to ignore how quickly this moved. A few pictures, a police report, a mugshot, a surrender. No one knows yet if the case will hold up. Both Ross’s request that fans not judge it and Kendrick’s right to be heard should be respected.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available at 1-800-799-7233 for anyone impacted by domestic abuse. The line is open 24/7 and calls are toll-free and private.
