A$AP Rocky has been acquitted of all charges in his felony gun case.
The verdict was announced on February 18 at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles. The 36-year-old rapper, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, embraced his legal team as the courtroom erupted in celebration. He had faced up to 24 years in prison if convicted.
Mayers’ longtime partner Rihanna was present for the verdict. The pop star and fashion mogul had made headlines earlier in the trial when she attended closing statements with the couple’s two young sons, RZA, 2, and Riot Rose, 1. Also in attendance were Mayers’ mother, Renee Black, and sister, Erika B.
Mayers was charged with two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm stemming from a confrontation with his high school friend Terell Ephron (A$AP Relli) on November 6, 2021, in Hollywood. The trial, which began January 24, was overseen by Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold.
Ephron, who is also suing Mayers for $30 million, claimed that the rapper fired two shots at him, causing injuries to his knuckles. Prosecutors presented grainy surveillance footage and a 911 call reporting the shooting. However, no shell casings were recovered by police, and Ephron later claimed to have found two himself.
Mayers’ attorney, Joseph Tacopina, argued that the rapper never had a real gun, only a starter pistol that fired blanks as a security prop. Mayers’ tour manager, Lou Levin, testified that he later gave the prop to the director of Mayers’ “D.M.B.” music video.
The trial featured heated testimony, particularly from Ephron, who shouted at Mayers on the stand, saying, “You did this to yourself!” His credibility was called into question when he claimed that recordings of him discussing the shooting were fake and created by AI.
The case even had a Hollywood twist when LAPD Sgt. Thomas Zizzo, a witness in the trial, was revealed to be the son of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne.
With the trial behind him, Mayers is set for a busy year. He will headline the Rolling Loud festival in March, co-chair the 2025 Met Gala, and release his long-awaited fourth studio album, Don’t Be Dumb. He is also slated to appear in Spike Lee’s upcoming film, Highest 2 Lowest, expected to premiere this summer.
Source: Yahoo Entertainment