A$AP Rocky was found not guilty on all counts by a Los Angeles jury, ending an exhaustive three-week trial that accused the Harlem-bred rapper (real name Rakim Mayers) of firing a gun at his former friend, A$AP Relli (real name Terell Ephron).
When the verdict was announced in a Downtown Los Angeles courthouse on Tuesday, Rocky and his defense team and the room erupted in joy and cheers. Rocky jumped over the stand to hug Rihanna and his mother, Renee Black, and sister Erika Mayers.
Rocky was facing two felony assault charges stemming from a shooting incident that occurred outside of the W Hotel in Hollywood. On Nov. 6, 2021, Rocky and Ephron had a confrontation on Hollywood Boulevard where Rocky allegedly aimed a gun at Ephron’s head and stomach. Ephron said his hand was grazed by one of the bullets Rocky allegedly shot.
Rocky’s defense attorney, Joe Tacopina, referred to Ephron’s injuries as “knuckle scrapes,” arguing that his client used a prop gun that day to break up a scuffle between Ephron and Rocky’s entourage.
“There’s no bullet in the world that could’ve done that,” Tacopina said, showing jurors a picture of Ephron’s bloodied knuckles. A$AP Twelvyy (real name Jamel Phillips), a friend who was with Rocky that night, testified that Rocky fired the shots as a means to stop Ephron from going after another member of their crew, A$AP Illz (real name Illijah Ulanger). Still, Rocky was adamant he never fired any live bullets.
When police returned to the scene to collect evidence, they found nothing on-site. Ephron also returned to the scene and allegedly found two 9mm shell casings.
Ephron’s testimonial included his admission that he was at a Los Angeles gun range, firing a semi-automatic pistol, just two weeks before the November incident. This proved to be a critical point in the trial as Rocky’s defense was largely built on Tacopina’s argument that Ephron “planted” the two 9mm shell casings that he claims he found.
Rocky alleged Ephron made up the shooting story to extort him, citing Ephron’s $30 million civil lawsuit against him.
Though Rihanna, mother to Rocky’s children, was never called to testify, she did appear in the courtroom multiple times in support of her partner. For one of these dates, she brought the couple’s two toddlers, which caused Judge Arnold to rule that for the state’s rebuttal, “there’s to be no mention” of “Rihanna being in the courtroom or the kids being in the courtroom,” according to Rolling Stone reporter Nancy Dillon.
Rocky was facing up to 24 years in prison for his involvement in this case. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and turned down a plea deal of 180 days in jail.
Ephron, along with Rocky and others, were a part of a New York-based rap collective called A$AP Mob that was founded in 2006 by the late Steven Rodriguez, also known as A$AP Yams. The group included rappers, music video directors, fashion designers and bikers.