Rapper A$AP Rocky was found not guilty on Tuesday of shooting a former buddy on a street in Hollywood in 2021 with a handgun.
He said to the jurors as they departed the Los Angeles courtroom, “Thank you all for saving my life.” Two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic handgun were dropped against him.
If convicted, the 36-year-old hip-hop artist, fashion tycoon, and up-and-coming actor, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, would have faced more than 24 years in prison.
He rejected the prosecution’s offer to enter a guilty plea to one count on the eve of trial, which included probation and other terms in addition to a mere six months in jail.
The 36-year-old Rocky, who insisted in his innocence and had two young toddler sons at home with his longterm partner Rihanna, made the risky decision that a jury would agree. It was worthwhile. At the very least, the jurors believed that there was a plausible question about his guilt.
Rihanna sobbed and gave the defense attorneys hugs when the verdict was announced. She occasionally attended the trial and brought the couple’s two sons, Riot Rose Mayers, age one, and RZA Athelston Mayers, age two, to hear some of the final arguments.
Rocky was at the height of his renown, if not the apex of his musical career, when the verdict was rendered. Now that he is not in danger of going to jail, the three-time Grammy nominee can look forward to an incredible year. In addition to being one of the celebrity co-chairs of fashion’s most important event, the Met Gala, in May, he is expected to headline the Rolling Loud music festival in March. He also co-stars with Denzel Washington in the early summer release of Spike Lee’s film “Highest 2 Lowest.”
He was allegedly at odds with A$AP Relli, a former friend with whom he had been in a group known as the A$AP Mob since high school, according to the prosecution and their witnesses. They said that on November 6, 2021, the two men met in Hollywood. Following a fight, Rocky squeezed the trigger and shot Relli twice; Relli claimed that one of the bullets nicked his knuckle but did not sustain any major injuries.
In his closing argument, Rocky’s attorney Joe Tacopina said that Relli is “an angry pathological liar” who has repeatedly committed perjury.
Rocky had been carrying a blank-only toy gun for security purposes since he stole it from a music video production months prior, according to witnesses and Rocky’s attorneys. They said that because Relli was assaulting another crew member, he fired it as a warning.
Jurors were informed that, even though the event occurred three years ago, nobody had brought up the fake gun with the police until the day of jury selection at the trial.
They were also told that they may find the defendant not guilty if they could demonstrate that Rocky used reasonable force and that he had a reasonable belief that he or one of his two friends were in immediate danger that evening.
Whether they decided that he was actually carrying a prop gun or that he acted in self-defense was not immediately apparent. They were not required to explain their rationale outside of the jury room or to agree on it. All they needed to do was come to the same conclusion.
Rocky decided against testifying on his own behalf.
Deputy District Attorney John Lewin asked the jurors to avoid being swayed by the case’s celebrity or familial elements during his closing argument. He also implied that Rihanna’s decision to bring the children to closing arguments was an attempt to influence the jury.
The prosecution declared, “You are not permitted to think about how this would affect Rihanna and his children.” “Everyone is accountable for their own deeds in the world.”
