Singer R. Kelly [ tickets ], whose short-lived co-headlining tour with rapper Jay-Z [ tickets ] recently ended in turmoil, announced on Thursday (11/11) that a member of Jay-Z's entourage had been arrested for allegedly assaulting Kelly and some of his security guards.

"A longtime associate of rap singer Jay-Z has been arrested in New York in connection with the Oct. 29 pepper-spray assault on R&B star R. Kelly and several of his security guards," reads a press release that Kelly issued.

MTV.com reported that the New York District Attorney's office said that Jay-Z associate Tyran "Ty Ty" Smith was charged with third-degree assault.

The alleged incident occurred backstage at New York City's Madison Square Garden after Kelly, who was co-headlining at the venue with Jay-Z as part of the duo's Best of Both Worlds tour, left the stage mid-performance--supposedly due to "security concerns," according to a statement. About 30 minutes later, Kelly attempted to return to the stage, but was allegedly stopped and pepper-sprayed by Smith.

Kelly and his security guards were treated at a local emergency room and released, and Kelly "declared he was 'ready, willing and able' to continue with the 'Best of Both Worlds' tour. Jay-Z, however, refused to perform, as a result of which the promoter canceled the tour," according to Kelly's press release.

Kelly has since filed a $75 million lawsuit against Jay-Z and his production company.

Jay-Z, meanwhile, is forging ahead with the tour, which he has re-dubbed as Jay-Z and Friends, and for which he has enlisted a rotating roster of special guests. The rapper's record label, in a recent press release, blamed the original tour's cancellation on Kelly's "lack of professionalism and unpredictable behavior."

Ironically, Jay-Z and R. Kelly's second collaboration, "Best of Both Worlds"--the release of which was timed to coincide with the tour--recently entered the U.S. album chart at No. 1, with about 215,000 copies sold during its first week in stores.

In related news, Kelly issued a second press release on Thursday (11/11) in which he announced that a supposed Associated Press news story that "makes false claims from unnamed sources that Kelly made sexual advances toward [R&B vocalist] Ashanti's younger sister at a recent awards show" is a "false and misleading hoax."

According to the press release, "Ashanti personally telephoned New York radio station HOT 97 [on Thursday morning] to set the record straight," and "AP reporter Nekesa Mumbi Moody has also confirmed that the article was not written by her nor distributed by the Associated Press wire service."

Kelly continues to face multiple counts of child pornography in a case pending against him in Illinois.