A U.S. court has found rapper A$AP Rocky not guilty of two counts of felony assault after a highly publicized trial in Los Angeles. The Grammy-nominated artist, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, was accused of firing a gun at his former friend, Terell Ephron, in Hollywood in 2021.
The verdict, delivered on Tuesday, brought a wave of relief to Mayers, who had faced a potential sentence of more than 20 years in prison if convicted. As the jury’s decision was read, the rapper hugged supporters in the courtroom, visibly relieved by the outcome.
Prosecutors Claimed Mayers Fired a Gun
Prosecutors alleged that Mayers fired a 9mm semi-automatic weapon at Ephron, also known as A$AP Relli, during an altercation on November 6, 2021. They claimed that one of the bullets grazed Ephron’s hand.
Ephron, who had been part of the A$AP rap collective alongside Mayers, testified that he was lured to a parking garage for a confrontation. He told the jury that after a verbal exchange, Mayers pulled out a gun, pointed it at his stomach, and threatened to kill him.
“I’ll kill you right now,” Ephron recalled Mayers saying before firing two shots.
The incident, which was partially captured on grainy surveillance footage, became the center of the weeks-long trial.
Defense: No Real Gun Was Used
Mayers, 36, maintained that he never used a real firearm during the encounter. His lawyer, Joe Tacopina, argued that the supposed weapon was nothing more than a prop gun.
“The weapon was absolutely nothing more than a prop gun… a starter gun, a blank gun, a fake gun,” Tacopina told the court. “It’s used in pop movies and music videos.”
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The defense lawyer further challenged the prosecution’s case, pointing out that officers who arrived at the scene of the alleged shooting found no shell casings or gun. However, hours later, Ephron reportedly returned to the site and discovered two shell casings, which he claimed were evidence of the shooting.
Tacopina described Ephron as “a criminal and a perjurer” who fabricated the story to extort money from Mayers.
“This was an extortion. The extortion played out live in court,” Tacopina said after the verdict. “The district attorney should look long and hard at prosecuting Terell Ephron.”
Jury Rejects Case Against Mayers
After hearing arguments from both sides, the jury found Mayers not guilty, signaling that they were not convinced by the prosecution’s case.
Following the verdict, Tacopina praised his client, as well as Mayers’ partner, singer Rihanna, who had been present in court throughout much of the trial.
“They are the greatest people,” Tacopina said of the couple.
Neither Mayers nor Rihanna immediately responded to the court’s decision.
A$AP Rocky’s Legal History
This is not the first time A$AP Rocky has faced legal trouble. In 2019, he was convicted in Sweden following a street fight, an incident that led to diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and Sweden. Then-U.S. President Donald Trump even intervened in an attempt to secure the rapper’s release.
Despite his legal challenges, A$AP Rocky remains a prominent figure in the music industry. He gained fame with hit albums such as Long. Live. A$AP and At. Long. Last. A$AP, and continues to be a significant force in hip-hop.
With the trial behind him, the rapper can now turn his focus back to his career and family, as he and Rihanna continue raising their two children.