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Here’s RZA’s Account of the Azealia Banks, Russell Crowe Incident

RZA took to Facebook on Thursday, October 20, to share his account of his pal Russell Crowe’s hotel room fight with Azealia Banks this past Saturday, October 15. 

“Normally I don’t respond to negative social media attacks towards me. Yet in this case of Azealia Banks I’m compelled to respond,” the actor-rapper, 47 — who invited the “212” singer to a dinner party hosted by Crowe at the Beverly Hills Hotel — began his post. “Firstly I only wish the best for her and any struggling artist in this complex industry. Azealia was brought to my attention while I was casting my next Film Coco. I heard the rumors of her problems in the industry but disregarded them with the rationality everyone is innocent until proven guilty.”

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The Wu-Tang Clan alum then went on to explain that he had recently taken Banks, 25, under his wing, helping her land a role in an upcoming film and getting her a meeting with a music executive to discuss a potential record deal. He claims he brought the controversial recording artist — who is known for feuding with celebrities on social media — to Los Angeles for “work” and invited her to hang out with Crowe & Co.

RZA
RZA attends the ‘Mr. Right’ New York premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on April 6, 2016.

RZA claimed that Banks was “insulting half the room” by the end of the night. “There was nothing funny about her behavior. I felt a little embarrassed because she was my guest. Still verbal abuse can be tolerated but when it goes physical… ,” RZA wrote. “Azealia threatened 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.”

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Banks — whose account of what happened that night directly contradicts RZA’s — previously alleged that before Crowe kicked her out, he called her the N-word, spat on her and put his arms around her neck after she jokingly told one of the Oscar winner’s friends that their upcoming horror film would “suck.”

Azealia Banks and Russell Crowe
Azealia Banks and Russell Crowe

However, a source close to Crowe tells Us Weekly, “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.”

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Banks tells Us that while she is still upset over what she claims Crowe did to her, she is no longer planning to press charges. “[Crowe] 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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