LOS ANGELES, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Azealia Banks claims Russell Crowe attacked and used racial slurs against her during a party in Los Angeles.
"I've got youth and beauty, and he's got beer belly and jowls!" the outspoken rapper said to Us Weekly. "I got music. I got music, and I got youth."
According to Banks, who filed an incident report at the time, and her rep, Crowe put his hands on her at the party after she explained to one of his friends that his upcoming horror film would "suck."
"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 continued to allege to Us Weekly. "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.'"
She said this led to a fight that ended in Crowe kicking her out the party but not before using racial slurs. An insider close to the actor claims that Crowe "behaved like a hero," didn't use the n-word and that Banks was behaving erratically.
"Even if I were being erratic, you should have enough sense to have me escorted out properly," she tells Us Weekly, "and keep your hands and your spit to yourself."
"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," the 25-year-old went on. "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."
Rapper RZA, who had brought Banks to the party, has a different side of the story. On Facebook Thursday, the Wu-Tang Clan member sided with Crowe and refuted Banks' claims.
"Azealia threaten to cut a girl in the face with a glass, then actually grabs a glass and physically attacks for no logical reason," he explained.
"Russell blocked the attack and expelled her from the suite. 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 puzzles by her and thought maybe meds or booze or something had her zoned out. Nevertheless I made sure she got home safe," he continued before denying that Crowe had used racial slurs.
