RZA sides with Russell Crowe in Azealia Banks feud

Rapper, actor and director RZA is deviating from his personal policy of acknowledging social media attacks to clear the air about the confrontation between Azealia Banks and actor Russell Crowe last weekend.

And he's siding with the actor, whom Banks accused of assaulting her and kicking her out of a gathering held Saturday at his suite at the Beverly Hills Hotel. She also says Crowe spat at her and called her the N-word, which RZA (real name: Robert Fitzgerald Diggs) denies hearing in a Facebook post published Thursday.

She demanded a public apology from the Oscar winner and when she didn't get it, she pressed charges. The Beverly Hills Police Department confirmed to USA TODAY that they took her statement.

RZA, who had a positive experience working with Banks on his upcoming film Coco, says the movie's wrap party was his only real direct social interaction with her until last week. A friend, however, had described her as "volatile." He added that he had advised her to stay focused, "leave social media and tabloids alone and let your music and art do your talking."

The combative rapper has engaged in social media beefs with everyone from Sarah Palin to Zayn Malik, the latter of which cost her a music festival gig this summer after she used an anti-Muslim slur against him.

Nevertheless, RZA agreed to fly her to Los Angeles put her up in a hotel and help her secure a record deal. After they hit the hotel's Polo Lounge, he asked Crowe, who starred in his 2012 film The Man With the Iron Fists, if she could tag along as his plus-one to the actor's suite.

"Before the night is over, Azealia is insulting half the room she becomes loud and obnoxious," he recounted. "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 ... Azealia threaten (sic) 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."

Crowe's camp has not responded to USA TODAY's request for comment.

For RZA, "Seeing is believing and I saw her behave as an obnoxious, erratic individual and in the circles I frequent, this was unprecedented."  He added that he thought she was on medication or drunk, but made sure she got home safely.

"I have a wife, daughters, sisters and females on my staff so I protect women everyday," he concluded. "I pray none of them ever behave the way I witnessed Azealia Banks behaved (sic) that night."