Rapper A$AP Rocky is standing trial in Los Angeles for felony assault charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty. His partner, billionaire pop star and businesswoman Rihanna, joined him in court on Wednesday for the first time. The trial began after Rocky turned down a plea deal that would have required him to plead guilty to one of two felony charges in exchange for 180 days in jail.
Rocky’s accuser, A$AP Relli, testified Tuesday and Wednesday, claiming the rapper pulled a gun on him during an argument outside a hotel in Los Angeles in November 2021. Relli stated that Rocky “pointed down and shot the first shot,” after which he felt his hand get “hot” – bullet grazed his left hand.
Rocky’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, argued that the rapper was carrying a prop gun from a music video set, incapable of firing real bullets. The lawyer also accused Relli of being driven by jealousy, lies, and greed, alleging he fabricated parts of his claims for money.
Prosecutors played surveillance footage showing A$AP Rocky drawing a gun, but neither clip directly captured the alleged shooting. A$AP Rocky was arrested in April 2022 upon returning to Los Angeles from a trip with Rihanna to her native Barbados.
The trial is the latest incident in Rocky’s history of run-ins with the law. In 2019, he was found guilty of assault in Sweden and spent over a month in detention before being released and deported back to the US.
A$AP Relli and A$AP Rocky were high school friends who were part of the same A$AP Mob music collective. The two began to drift apart after Rocky gained fame, with Relli testifying that he felt it was “really hard having a relationship with Rocky,” stating he “lies a lot.”
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/01/29/aap-rocky-assault-trial-what-we-know-as-his-partner-rihanna-arrives-in-court