In a new interview with The Breakfast Club, RZA has gone back on statements he made last year regarding an incident between rapper Azealia Banks and Russell Crowe. At the time, Banks stated via Facebook that during a confrontation with Crowe at a party in his hotel suite, the actor had verbally and physically assaulted her, specifically choking her and spitting at her. RZA, who was also present, publicly denied this account of events, also on Facebook. In the statement, he called Banks "an obnoxious erratic individual."Now, in a new interview with The Breakfast Club (which you can see above; RZA speaks about the incident from the 30:00 mark), RZA has changed his account. Asked, "Did Russell put hands on her though? Or spit on her like she said?" he confirms that Crowe did actually spit at Banks, saying "He spit at her, I saw that" before clarifying that Crowe spat in Banks' direction rather than specifically on her, contradicting the account given at the time. He also states that Crowe apologised to RZA about the incident, though he does not specify whether or not Banks has received an apology. "It takes nothing away from the great talent that she is," he added.Banks has since responded via Instagram Story, which you can see screenshotted below:
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She wrote:
Basically: believe women who discuss abuse in public, because they're pretty much always telling the truth.Follow Noisey on Twitter.RZA HAS TO STOP TALKING ABOUT ME IN THE MEDIA. UNTIL HE IS READY TO APOLOGISE TO ME PUBLICLY HE CAN GO BACK TO SUCKING RUSSELL CROWES [sic] DICK FOR INVITES TO HOLLYWOOD PARTIES. Nobody understands how badly I wanted to die the moment rza LIED and told the world I deserved to be spat. People laughed at me and said I lied. No one understands the amount of pain that came with and after that incident. Just fucking respect me and stop saying me name. @RZA I HOPE YOU DROP DEAD.