LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles prosecutors have decided not to file charges against actor Russell Crowe over a scuffle earlier this year with rapper Azealia Banks.
In a court filing on Tuesday, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office said the actor appeared justified in throwing the singer out of his Beverly Hills hotel room during an October 15 party after she reportedly became belligerent.
The 25-year-old rapper had filed a police report against the Oscar-winning actor following the incident, claiming he grabbed her by the neck, used a racial slur and spat on her.
But prosecutors said if anyone was to blame for the incident, it appears to be Banks, who witnesses at the party described as either drunk or on drugs.
“Several attendees describe Banks, not Crowe, as the assaultive party,” prosecutors said in a charge evaluation worksheet that explains their decision.
“Witnesses state that prior to being ejected from the hotel room by Crowe, Banks repeatedly used a racial epithet, was verbally aggressive to party attendees and threatened to break a glass to cut the throat of a female guest and/or Crowe,” the filing states.
It adds that Banks had admitted to making insulting statements before the 52-year-old actor threw her out of his suite and that she had no visible injuries when she reported the incident to police.
Prosecutors said it would also be inappropriate to file criminal charges against Crowe for spitting on Banks’ gloved hand.
“It was incidental to preventing more serious threatened violence,” the filing said.
The rapper took to Facebook on Wednesday to express her dismay over the decision.
“Seriously heartbroken over this news of my case against Russell Crowe being thrown out,” she wrote, adding that her attorney had failed to properly represent her.
“One thing I won’t do is let this ruin any parts of me,” she added. “I’ve done enough crying in 2016, and 2017 won’t be the year I allow the media or anyone else to control my narrative.” The rapper earlier this year was suspended from Twitter after a stream of racist and Islamophobic invective against former One Direction heartthrob Zayn Malik, whom she accused of copying her style.
Banks, who is African American and has long been notorious for provocative social media postings, later apologised for her rant.
