Rapper A$AP Rocky has been acquitted of two felony assault charges following a trial in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
The hip-hop star, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, had been facing serious legal consequences over an alleged 2021 incident involving a former friend in Hollywood. If convicted, he could have spent over two decades behind bars.
As the jury delivered the not-guilty verdict, emotions ran high in the courtroom. Mayers, who shares two children with Rihanna, embraced supporters in relief.
Prosecutors had accused Mayers of firing a nine-millimeter semi-automatic weapon during a confrontation with Terell Ephron, also known as A$AP Relli, on November 6, 2021. The alleged shooting reportedly grazed Ephron’s hand. However, Mayers maintained that he was only in possession of a prop gun.
Once close friends and members of the A$AP rap collective, Mayers and Ephron had a falling out. During the trial, Ephron testified that he was lured to a parking garage, where an argument escalated. He claimed Mayers pointed a gun at him and threatened to kill him before firing two shots, one of which allegedly grazed his knuckles.
Mayers’ defense attorney, Joe Tacopina, argued that the weapon in question was nothing more than a blank-firing prop used in films and music videos. He described Ephron as unreliable, questioning his credibility and motives. Tacopina further pointed out that police officers who searched the scene found no shell casings or firearm, yet Ephron later claimed to have discovered shell casings himself.
Following the verdict, Tacopina called the case an “extortion attempt,” urging prosecutors to investigate Ephron instead. He praised Mayers and Rihanna, calling them “amazing people.”
Neither Mayers nor Rihanna immediately commented on the outcome, though Rihanna was frequently seen in court during the trial.
A$AP Rocky rose to prominence with hit albums like Long. Live. A$AP and At. Long. Last. A$AP. His legal troubles have made headlines before, including a 2019 altercation in Sweden that drew international attention and even a response from then-president Donald Trump.
