Rick Ross Hit With Felony Strangulation Charge. Belaire Is Silent.

Rick Ross was arrested Thursday morning in Miami Beach and charged with felony battery by strangulation and misdemeanor battery. He is in Miami-Dade County jail with a bond set at $5,000. His arraignment is scheduled for October 22.

His ex-girlfriend Jazzma Kendrick went public before the police arrived. She posted an Instagram Story showing a photo of her injury and wrote: 'The day Rick busted my lip and the day I left. I don't know a lot of things, but I do know that a man that puts his hands on me, is a man that never loved me and never will.'

According to the arrest report, the incident happened on August 28 at Ross's Star Island home in Miami. Police say an argument began after Ross woke Kendrick over a social media photo she had been tagged in. He allegedly slapped her, struck her chest repeatedly, choked her by twisting the collar of her hoodie until she could not breathe, and slammed her against a wall. She provided police with photos of her injuries. The report was filed on September 30, approximately one month after the alleged incident.

Ross voluntarily surrendered Thursday morning and has pleaded not guilty to both charges. His attorneys Steve Sadow and Bradley Horenstein called the accusations false. 'The ex did not even file a police report until a month after the claimed incident allegedly took place,' Sadow said. The lawyers added that Ross 'is being wrongfully accused by an ex-girlfriend whose true motivations are unclear.'

Belaire, Wingstop: No Comment

As of Thursday, none of Ross's major brand partners had issued a statement. Ross is the marquee face of Belaire Rosé Champagne, the prestige sparkling wine positioned at hip-hop events and nightlife. He also owns more than 20 Wingstop franchise locations. Neither company had commented as of this writing.

This is not Ross's first brand accountability test. In April 2013, Reebok terminated his spokesperson deal after he rapped about giving a woman a controlled substance without her knowledge on the track 'U.O.E.N.O.' Reebok's statement at the time: 'While we do not believe that Rick Ross condones sexual assault, we are very disappointed he has yet to display an understanding of the seriousness of this issue or an appropriate level of remorse.' It took weeks of organized consumer pressure, led by advocacy groups and social media campaigns, before Reebok acted.

A Pattern With a Quiet Middle Chapter

The 2013 Reebok drop is the loudest data point in Ross's brand accountability history, but it is not the only one. A 2017 kidnapping and assault case at his Atlanta property ended with a no-contest plea and probation. His remaining brand partners stayed quiet during that episode. There was no Reebok-style rupture.

Brands in the hip-hop space tend to operate on a different accountability timeline than brands in pop or film. Reebok moved when pressure from outside his core fanbase became numerically large enough to force a calculation. Belaire and Wingstop serve a much tighter consumer demographic. Whether outside pressure reaches a level that changes that calculation is a story for the next few weeks, not the next few hours.

What Kendrick's Instagram Story did was accelerate the timeline before any formal charge existed. Brands that waited for a conviction in 2013 got dragged into a boycott over lyrics. Brands that wait for a conviction now are starting from a public narrative that a woman posted her injury and her exit, in that order.

Ross has pleaded not guilty. The next legal date is October 22. The next brand statement, if one comes, will not be governed by the court calendar.

Ad Watch News is an independent commentary site with no affiliation with Rick Ross, Jazzma Kendrick, Belaire, Wingstop, or any party named here. This piece draws on published sources listed below.

Rick Ross Hit With Felony Strangulation Charge. Belaire Is Silent.

Belaire, Wingstop: No Comment

A Pattern With a Quiet Middle Chapter

Sources & further reading

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