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Azealia Speaks Out About Russell Crowe Altercation: ‘I’ve Got Youth and Beauty, He’s Got Beer Belly and Jowls’ (Exclusive)

Not mincing words! Azealia Banks spoke exclusively with Us Weekly following her Saturday, October 15, Beverly Hills hotel room altercation with Russell Crowe. Though she is still upset over the incident — in which she alleges Crowe called her a racial slur and spat on her — the “212” rapper, 25, tells Us why she isn’t completely shattered.

“I’ve got youth and beauty, and he’s got beer belly and jowls!” the New York City native tells Us of feuding with the Gladiator star, 52. “I got music. I got music, and I got youth.”

As previously reported, Banks — who attended a dinner party hosted by Crowe as a guest of rapper-actor RZA — filed a police report this past Sunday. “She was attacked,” her rep told Us at the time. “What has been reported as to what had led up to the attack is all fictitious.”

According to Banks, she and Crowe butted heads after the hip-hop star jokingly told one of the Oscar winner’s friends that his upcoming horror film would “suck.”

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“I don’t know, maybe Russell was supposed to be in that movie. But then Russell turns to me, and he was like, ‘Hey, you haven’t done anything in your career, and you’re so young, and you don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t know what you’re talking about, you haven’t done anything in your career, blah, blah, blah,’” she alleges. “I was confused, I’m just like, wait, is he joking, is he serious? But I keep it light, and I’m just like, ‘OK, well, you’re not poppin’ anymore. Your best days are behind you, Russell Crowe. Nobody’s checking for Russell Crowe right now.’”

Banks claims that the verbal scuffle resulted in a larger fight, prompting Crowe to kick her out of his suite. During an October 18 interview with The Sun, Banks claimed that Crowe referred to her as a “n—er” and put his arm around her neck before making her leave.

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Azealia Banks Russell Crowe
Azealia Banks and Russell Crowe

“Like, I could just see him boiling. And he was just trying to, like, figure out how he was going to get me out of here,” the “Ice Princess” singer recalls to Us. “I even started putting on my shoes at that point.”

However, a source close to Crowe tells Us, “No one called her the N-word. She was yelling the N-word at everyone else. Russell behaved like a hero. He acted in defense of his guests and removed her from his suite by putting her in a bear hug and picking her up.”

The insider adds: “Her erratic behavior and abusive language scared everyone there. Her bizarre antics culminated in her practically lunging across the table with a glass in her hand while threatening to slice the throats of at least two people.”

For her part, Banks does not believe that she behaved erratically. “Even if I were being erratic, you should have enough sense to have me escorted out properly,” she tells Us, “and keep your hands and your spit to yourself.”

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Asked if it’s important for her to clear her name, the musician notes that her reputation is “already f–ked” and that she just hopes fans and haters alike can shift their focus toward her professional pursuits rather than her controversies.

“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,” Banks, who is known for her long string of celebrity feuds, tells Us. “I am tired of defending myself. You know, it’s just really unfortunate. People are going to think whatever they want to think about me. Y’all need to think about this damn music.”

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Though she wants others to hear her story, Banks is no longer planning on pressing charges against Crowe. “Realistically, to be honest, I really don’t want to. 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,” the controversial recording artist explains. “I just want my music to shine. I don’t want to be dealing with another episode, another thing, another whatever.”

Still, Banks — who last released her mixtape Slay-Z in March 2016 — would appreciate an apology. “[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,” she adds. “You could apologize to me for free now and make this all go away.”

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