Azealia Banks Declines Pressing Charges Against Russell Crowe

Rapper Azealia Banks has decided not to press charges against actor Russell Crowe, but it's not because she thinks he's innocent.

As Nicki Swift previously reported, Banks was a plus-one for filmmaker and rapper RZA at an intimate dinner party in Crowe's hotel room on Oct. 17, 2016, when she allegedly threatened to break her glass and use it to stab another female guest. According to TMZ, Crowe reportedly intervened and physically removed her from the premises, but Banks claims that Crowe spit on her and used a racial slur.

Banks wants an apology, but not any drama. "Realistically, to be honest, I really don't want to [press charges]," she told Us Weekly. "Because I just don't want this in the media. I want my music out. I just want to f**king put my music out. I just want my music to shine. I don't want to be dealing with another episode, another thing, another whatever." She added, "Even if I were proven to be telling the truth in this situation, people have built their case up against me, and honestly I don't have the care or the time to try and fight millions...like, I can't fight the whole world. I am tired of defending myself. You know, it's just really unfortunate. [Russell] feels that he did nothing wrong, so I'm just like, OK, if you want to pay a bunch of litigators and a bunch of people to apologize to me, then I guess that's what you want to do. You could apologize to me for free now and make this all go away."

RZA took to Facebook to denounce Banks' actions and give his own account of what actually went down: "I invited [Banks] to meet me at the BHH Polo Lounge. Yet I head [sic] also planned on spending some time with my buddy RC [Russell Crowe] in his suite so I ask him can she join...so I invited her," he wrote. "Before the night is over Azealia is insulting half the room. She becomes loud and obnoxious. There was nothing funny about her behavior. I felt a little embarrassed because she was my guest...Azealia threaten [sic] to cut a girl in the face with a glass, then actually grabs a glass and physically attacks for no logical reason. Russell blocked the attack and expelled her from the suite."

RZA's continued, "Seeing is believing, and I saw her behave as an obnoxious, erratic individual, and in the circles I frequent this was unprecedented. I was totally puzzled by her and thought maybe meds or booze or something had her zoned out. Nevertheless, I made sure she got home safe." He added, "This is not a race or gender issue. I did not hear Russell call her a n****r. I'm not trying to protect Russell from anything; he is a man of his own caliber. My art, talent and success speaks [sic] for itself, and Azealia's recent slander of me and self-victimization reflects the personality of the person that was in that room that night."

Banks countered on her own Facebook account, writing, "RZA has clearly been given no legal advice and went to straight to TMZ out of his feelings to try and gaslight me. Whatever pieces are left of his brain after years and years of smoking dust stupidly allowed him to ramble himself into incriminating his friend, and completely debunking their entire made up theory."