A$AP Rocky has been acquitted in his felony gun trial, with the verdict delivered on February 18th at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles. As the announcement resonated through the courtroom, the 36-year-old rapper, actor, and designer—legally known as Rakim Mayers—embraced his legal team in a surge of relief. The room erupted into jubilant celebrations, marking a triumph against the potential of a 24-year prison sentence looming over his head.
Rihanna, Mayers' long-time partner, was in attendance for the verdict, as reported by Rolling Stone's Nancy Dillon. She had previously stolen the spotlight by being present during the closing statements, accompanied by their two sons, RZA, 2, and Riot Rose, 1, on February 13th. Mayers' mother, Renee Black, and sister, Erika B, occupied the front row seats for the verdict, as noted by Dillon.
Before the verdict was read out, defense attorney Joseph Tacopina confidently told TMZ that the case "deserved a swift acquittal, lasting no more than five minutes." Mayers, who chose not to testify, faced two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm stemming from an altercation with his high school acquaintance Terell Ephron, alias A$AP Relli, on November 6, 2021, in Hollywood. The trial commenced on January 24th and was overseen by Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold.
This wasn't Mayers' first brush with the law. At 16, he was arrested on attempted murder charges and spent two weeks on Rikers Island in New York City before the charges were downgraded and he was released. In 2019, he was again arrested for assault in Stockholm, Sweden, and though convicted in a case that garnered national attention, he had already been freed and wasn't handed additional jail time. Prior to the trial's commencement, Mayers rejected a plea deal from prosecutors that proposed a six-month jail sentence.
Mayers and Ephron, who met in high school in New York City and were once part of the A$AP Mob collective, had a falling out years before their confrontation. Ephron, suing Mayers for $30 million over the alleged shooting, testified that Mayers fired two shots at him with a semiautomatic handgun, leaving his knuckles bloody. Despite police searching for spent shell casings at the scene and failing to find them, Ephron claimed he later retrieved two. Prosecutors presented grainy surveillance footage of parts of the dispute and a 911 call from a witness claiming to have seen the shooting.
Tacopina, who has previously represented President Trump, argued that Mayers didn't possess a real gun but rather a starter pistol that fired blanks. He claimed that Rocky carried it as a prop for security reasons. Mayers' tour manager, Lou Levin, identified the prop gun as a Glock 26 and stated that he later gave it to the director of Mayers' "D.M.B." music video in New York City, as it no longer served its intended purpose as a deterrent.
One of the most memorable moments of the trial was Rihanna's appearance in court for the closing statements, accompanied by their sons. According to the Associated Press, dressed in suits, the boys could be heard cooing as the prosecutors concluded their arguments. During a break, Mayers carried his younger son down the hallway past the jury, painting a tender scene amidst the legal proceedings.
Rihanna found herself in court on no fewer than five separate occasions, maintaining a stoic demeanor when an Associated Press reporter inquired about her well-being. She responded gracefully, "I'm good, thank you."
Ephron's five-day testimony was fraught with controversy. At one fiery exchange, he shouted across the courtroom at Mayers, accusing him, "You did this to yourself!" Tacopina, Mayers' attorney, countered by bringing up Ephron's lawsuit, hinting that his motivations were financial. He dismissed Ephron's injuries as mere "knuckle scrapes," insisting that "no bullet in existence could have inflicted such wounds." During the proceedings, Ephron even claimed that recordings purporting to capture his conversations about the shooting were fabrications created by artificial intelligence.
Prosecutors accused Mayers of coaching his friends during their testimonies. When A$AP Twelvyy (whose real name is Jamel Phillips) took the stand as a defense witness, he was prompted to explain the acronym "AWGE," the name of Mayers' record label and creative agency, which Mayers keeps closely guarded. In a dramatic moment, Mayers, seated at the defense table, interjected loudly, "Don't say it!"
Adding a touch of Hollywood intrigue, one of the witnesses, LAPD Sgt. Thomas Zizzo, turned out to be the son of Erika Jayne from "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."
In anticipation of the verdict, Lauren Johnson-Norris, an attorney from Johnson Criminal Law Group, shared her insights with Yahoo Entertainment, highlighting the uphill struggle faced by the district attorney. "The prosecution's theory lacks substantial evidence," she observed. "Where is the murder weapon? How can we authenticate the shell casings to the alleged gun? Furthermore, the text message fiasco was an embarrassment for the DA, presenting only Mayers' responses without context from Relli, who later contradicted himself, devastating the prosecution's case." Johnson-Norris emphasized that there was ample reasonable doubt for the jury to consider.
While Rihanna's presence in court with the couple's children garnered significant attention, including mention in the district attorney's closing statement, Johnson-Norris saw this as a strategic move by the defense. "The defense's role is to humanize their client," she explained. "The jury was reminded that Mayers is a husband and father, compelling them to consider the impact on his family. Rihanna and the children's court appearances were not surprising; Tacopina understands how to evoke empathy in the jury for his client."
Mayers' personal appearance in court was equally strategic. The fashion designer, who made his debut at Paris Fashion Week last year, arrived and departed court each day in stylish fashion, trailed by camera crews. On some days, he even wore sunglasses inside the courtroom. "Clients must present themselves as if attending the most crucial event of their lives," Johnson-Norris noted. "In this case, Mayers did precisely that."
Looking ahead, Mayers is slated to headline the Rolling Loud music festival in California in March and co-chair the 2025 Met Gala in May. He is also expected to release his fourth studio album, titled "Don't Be Dumb," this year and has a role in Spike Lee's upcoming film, "Highest 2 Lowest," set for release this summer.
