ASAP Rocky Acquitted of Shooting Former Friend
ASAP Rocky, the Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist, was found not guilty on Tuesday of charges related to the shooting of a former collaborator. The jury deliberated for nearly three hours before reaching a verdict in a case that could have significantly impacted his career.
The rapper, born Rakim Mayers, faced two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon, stemming from a 2021 altercation in Hollywood with his former friend, Terell Ephron, known as ASAP Relli. After the verdict was announced, Mayers jumped into the courtroom gallery to embrace his wife, Rihanna, and his lawyer, Joe Tacopina, expressing his gratitude to the jury for their decision.
The case centered around the weapon used in the incident. Prosecutors claimed it was a semiautomatic firearm, while defense witnesses insisted it was a prop gun obtained during the filming of a music video. No weapon was presented as evidence, and Mayers chose not to testify in his defense. Had he been convicted, he could have faced up to 24 years in prison.
At the time of the trial, Mayers had several high-profile projects in the works, including a performance at the Rolling Loud festival in March, serving as a celebrity chair for the Met Gala in May, and starring alongside Denzel Washington in a Spike Lee-directed film set to premiere in the summer.
The prosecution urged jurors to remain unbiased despite Rihanna’s frequent presence in court, while the defense emphasized that Mayers never wanted her to endure the trial but that she insisted on supporting him.
The incident that led to the trial was rooted in a dispute between former collaborators. Once members of the same rap collective, ASAP Mob, the friendship between Mayers and Relli had deteriorated. They met on November 6, 2021, in an attempt to resolve their differences, but tensions escalated. Relli testified that Mayers fired a gun at him, grazing his right hand, while the defense argued that Mayers had only fired blanks from a prop gun to defend a friend.
The prosecution presented surveillance footage of Mayers holding a gun before the alleged shooting, while the defense countered that Relli exaggerated his claims in an attempt to extort Mayers and strengthen a civil lawsuit he had filed against him.
Ultimately, the jury found the evidence insufficient to convict Mayers, delivering a not-guilty verdict. Relli’s civil lawsuit for damages and defamation now faces significant challenges following this decision.
Conclusion The trial’s outcome marks a crucial moment in ASAP Rocky’s career, allowing him to move forward without the legal burden that could have derailed his future endeavors. With high-profile projects ahead and the unwavering support of Rihanna and his fans, the rapper can now focus on his music and professional commitments, leaving this chapter behind him.