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On Tuesday, February 18, rapper A$AP Rocky was acquitted of all charges related to a 2021 shooting incident involving his former friend, Terell Ephron, a.k.a. A$AP Relli. Rocky, real name Rakim Mayers, was facing two felony counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm, which could’ve resulted in up to 24 years in prison if he was convicted.
Video from the court room shows ASAP Rocky leaping over the court room barrier and into the arms of his partner Rihanna after the the Los Angeles jury delivered a unanimous not guilty verdict after roughly three hours of deliberation.
Rocky and Rihanna, who began dating in 2020, share two children together — 2-year-old RZA Athelston Mayers and 1-year-old Riot Rose Mayers
ASAP ROCKY HAS BEEN FOUND NOT GUILTY pic.twitter.com/XZrK17l4bB
— ATP (@ATP_RAP) February 19, 2025
After the verdict was handed down, Rocky expressed gratitude to the jury, telling them “Thank y’all for saving my life.”
In their defense of Rocky during the 13-day-long trial in Los Angeles, the legal team for the Live. Love. A$AP rapper argued that the gun involved in the incident was a prop gun which only blanks, and that Ephron — who claimed that his knuckles were grazed by a bullet during the incident — was the aggressor of the situation.
“This whole experience has been crazy for the past 4 years. I’m thankful and it’s blessed to be here right now to be a free man talking to y’all,” Rocky told the crowd of media and fans as he exited the court house.
Rocky first broke onto the scene in 2011 with the release of his acclaimed mixtape Live. Love. ASAP and has released three studio albums, with his debut Long. Live. ASAP dropping in 2013.
Since then, Rocky has also released At. Long. Last. ASAP (2015) and Testing (2018), with his fourth, Don’t Be Dumb, set to release later this year, especially since he’s now free of his legal troubles.