Following a tense three-week trial, rapper A$AP Rocky was found not guilty of two felony assault charges related to a shooting incident that occurred in Hollywood in 2021. The hip-hop artist was exonerated of any wrongdoing on Tuesday after a Los Angeles jury deliberated for just three hours.
The case was centered on claims made by Rocky’s ex-friend Terell “A$AP Relli” Ephron that the rapper pointed a gun at him and fired twice, causing one bullet to graze his knuckles. In order to prove that the shooting was deliberate, the prosecution portrayed Rocky as the aggressor. But in response, the defense argued that Rocky acted in self-defense because Ephron allegedly started the altercation and that the gun was a prop gun from a music video shoot.
Rocky, who goes by Rakim Mayers in real life, seemed visibly upset as the not-guilty decision was delivered. In a later statement, he thanked everyone for sparing his life. In court, his partner, international music sensation Rihanna, was said to be moved by the verdict.
Due to the high-profile nature of the trial and Rocky’s celebrity status, this case had garnered a lot of public attention. He might have been imprisoned for up to nine years if found guilty.
Rocky is anticipated to put his music and family back into the forefront now that the legal struggle is over. Many of his admirers and supporters, who had been closely following the case, are relieved by the result.
For the time being, A$AP Rocky is free to move about, and this phase of his life ends with a sigh if relief
