Azealia Banks and Russell Crowe’s row continues to play out on the public front. After the two reportedly got into a small brawl at a hotel over the weekend, Banks has come forward with her version of the events, describing the night as one that went from playful flirting to a full-on physical assault.
In her account to The Sun, the rapper detailed what went down that night at the Beverly Hills Hotel and why it left her feeling “stained.’
According to Banks, she was invited to the gathering by RZA, the producer and sometimes actor who she was starting to work with on a new label deal. Crowe was in the private room as were Prometheus director Ridley Scott, comedian Jim Jefferies and Swedish pop star Elliphant along with other invited guests, per the report. Banks indicated things were going smoothly as she was first introduced to Crowe, who she says was consuming moonshine, whisky, vodka and weed during the course of the evening. The two were “flirting” and Banks said they were “having a really good time. He’s got his knee on my knee, he’s touching my leg, I’m playing him my music, he tweets my song ‘The Big Big Beat‘” with Crowe telling her she’s beautiful.
At some point, the scene took a shift when Banks claims she poked fun at an aspiring filmmaker. “Russell just kind of switched,” she said. “He was like, ‘Well you know what? You’re young and you’ve never done anything in your career so you don’t know what you’re talking about’.”
Banks said she thought it was just banter so she shot back at Crowe by saying “Your best days are behind you.” From there, another female partygoer stepped in to defend Crowe and the rapper checked her:
“I said, ‘Girl, this is not the right time or place for us to be fighting, like what would happen if I got up and I slapped the s*** out of you, or I took a glass and f***ing threw it at you and you were bleeding all over the place? I would be wrong and we’d all be wrong, and the party would be done.’”
It was then that exchange between Banks and Crowe allegedly took place with the rapper claiming the actor “calls me a n*****, and then grabs me, picks me up, he chokes me by the throat, picks me up, throws me out of the room and then spits on me.” Banks reportedly later filed a report with the Beverly Hills police.
She claimed the whole incident has left her feeling as if there were a stain on her. “My femininity feels stained,” she said. “I feel stained as a woman, I feel mishandled, I feel mistreated, I feel dirty. I feel very f***ing low.”
Right now, she’s supposedly looking to pull out of her deal with RZA, according to what a source close to Banks told TMZ. The producer’s side is telling a different story, reportedly indicating Banks was the one who was out of line and caused the situation to escalate.
According to The Sun, others present indicate Banks was the instigator in the situation. They paint a picture of Banks hurling the n-word and insults at people plus threats to cut the throats of Crowe and others. “You would love it if I broke my glass, stabbed you guys in the throat, and blood would squirt everywhere like some real Tarantino sh*t,” she’s reported as saying.
Comedian Jim Jefferies is one of the few witnesses who has spoken about the incident publicly. Taking to Twitter, he came to Crowe’s defense, calling Banks “a liar” and claiming “she was out of control. Russell did absolutely nothing wrong” before saying “I would take a lie detector.”
https://twitter.com/jimjefferies/status/787880570114105344
https://twitter.com/jimjefferies/status/788178702982983680
For Banks, the incident is one of several highly publicized run-ins she’s had with other celebs. But, the majority of those squabbles have been contained to social media. Having one play out in the physical world, especially one that sounds this volatile, is dangerous and scary for all involved.
On Tuesday night, Banks spoke to TMZ and said the joking session escalated as a result of her “bruising of male egos.” By her estimation, some partygoers were trying to put her in her place, “which kind of backfired ’cause I’m just as quick and witty.”
She has especially sharp words for RZA, indicating there’s “no chance for reconciliation” since he didn’t defend her at the hotel that night and hasn’t supported her in the days since. “RZA doesn’t have much clout in a room full of real, high-powered Hollywood white men,” she said. “He just stood there like a chump.” She says if the Wu-Tang vet can’t stand up for her or himself in that situation, he’s not someone she wants to be siding with in business.
Watch the full TMZ interview below.
