Grammy-nominated hip-hop star A$AP Rocky was found not guilty in the Hollywood gun assault trial he faced. Robert Kovacik reports for the NBC4 News at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
What to Know
- Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist A$AP Rock was charged in two Hollywood confrontations in November 2021 with former friend Terell Ephron, aka A$AP Relli.
- The rap artist-turned-fashion mogul and longtime partner of singer Rihanna faces two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
- A key question at the center of the trial was whether the weapon used was a real gun or, as the defense claims, a prop gun that only fired blanks.
- Jurors could acquit Rocky if they believed the defense or if they believe he was acting in self defense.
- He faced up to 24 years in prison, if convicted.
Rapper A$AP Rocky jumped into the arms of singer and longtime partner Rihanna Tuesday in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom after he was found not guilty in a gun assault trial.
The rap artist-turned-fashion mogul, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, faced two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm in two confrontations on the night of Nov. 6, 2021 with Terell Ephron -- aka A$AP Relli -- in Hollywood. The two men's friendship soured over the years as Rocky's music career blossomed, a turn of events that culminated in the Hollywood encounter and August 2023 charges against Rocky.
A key question at the center of the trial was whether the weapon used was a real gun or, as the defense claims, a prop gun that only fired blanks. Jurors could acquit Rocky if they believed the defense or if they believe he was acting in self defense.
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The jury of seven women and five men reached a unanimous decision after deliberating for about three hours after a three-week trial. He faced up to 24 years in prison if he was convicted. Rocky had been free on bail since his 2022 arrest.
"Thank y’all for saving my life," he told the jurors as they left.
After attorneys finished closing arguments late last week, the case went to the jury for deliberations.
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Pop star Rihanna, the mother of the couple's two children, was seen dressed in black with her two children entering court Thursday morning for closing arguments. Rihanna has appeared in the courtroom five times since the trial began Jan. 24.
Immediately after the verdict was read in court, a relieved Rocky turned to the back of the courtroom and fell into the arms of Rihanna in an embrace.
Relli testified during the trial that he saw his former friend outside a parking garage in an encounter partially caught on surveillance video and that the Grammy-nominated music star pulled a gun from his waistband, put it toward his stomach and said, "I'll kill you right now."
The accuser said during a November 2023 hearing that he believed the 36-year-old rapper had become "big-headed" due to his success, telling Rocky he had "failed everybody" and claiming that no one else was brave enough to share their honest opinions with him.
Relli alleged Rocky turned around and shot at him, saying he believed his left hand had been grazed by the gunfire. He said he waited until he got to New York to go to a hospital days later to seek medical treatment for his three injured knuckles, saying he was in pain.
Rocky's attorney, Joe Tacopina, maintained that the gun was a starter pistol that only fired blanks. He claimed Rocky carried it as a prop for security reasons.
Prosecutors, however, insist that Rocky used a genuine firearm that shot real bullets, one of which injured Relli's knuckles when fired. Neither the prop gun or alleged genuine firearm were produced at trial.
“Was it a real gun or was it a fake gun?” Deputy District Attorney Paul Przelomiec said Thursday. “Nothing else is in dispute.”
Relli testified that after the altercation, he left the scene, but returned about an hour later -- after police had unsuccessfully searched the area for evidence of shots fired -- and found two shell casings on the street. He said he took the casings to police two days later.
A Los Angeles Police Department detective testified that he did not see Relli on surveillance video showing the Hollywood street at the time the accuser says he found the shell casings ostensibly from the gun allegedly used to shoot at him.
Relli, the key witness in the prosecution case, has testified for several days. Rocky declined to take the stand in his own defense.
For Rocky to be found guilty of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, prosecutors must show that the gun was real.
In jury instructions Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold told the jury that they may consider self-defense as a possible motive.
Before opening statements last month, Rocky rejected a plea deal that would have required him to plead guilty to one of two felony charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and serve six months behind bars.
Rocky was arrested in April 2022 upon returning to Los Angeles from a trip with Rihanna to her native Barbados. Relli filed a lawsuit for assault, battery and emotional distress against Rocky four months later.
"While today’s verdict is not the outcome we sought, we respect the jury’s decision and the integrity of our justice system," Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement. "Our office remains committed to seeking accountability for those who break the law, no matter their status or influence. Fame does not place anyone above the law, and we will not waver in our pursuit of justice for victims and the community. I want to thank Deputy District Attorneys Paul Przelomiec and John Lewin for their dedication and tireless efforts in presenting this case. I also commend the prosecutors and investigators of our Central Division for their hard work and professionalism throughout this process. Our mission remains clear: to uphold the law, protect public safety, and ensure justice for all."
