Rapper A$AP Rocky was acquitted of felony assault charges after a Los Angeles trial, with the jury rejecting claims of a shooting incident involving former friend Terell Ephron in 2021.
Rapper A$AP Rocky was acquitted of two felony assault charges on Tuesday following a trial in Los Angeles. The verdict marked a significant victory for the musician, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, after facing the potential of more than 20 years in prison over allegations of an assault on a former friend in Hollywood in 2021.
Mayers, who shares two children with singer Rihanna, expressed relief in the courtroom as the jury read out its verdict, hugging supporters upon being declared not guilty. The case stemmed from an incident in which prosecutors claimed Mayers fired a nine-millimeter semi-automatic gun during a confrontation with Terell Ephron, also known as A$AP Relli, on November 6, 2021. Ephron alleged that Mayers grazed his hand with a bullet during the exchange.
However, Mayers, 36, maintained that he had only been carrying a harmless prop gun, not a real weapon.
The dispute began as a fallout between former friends and fellow members of the A$AP Mob, a rap collective based in New York. Other members reportedly felt Mayers’ growing commercial success had made him arrogant, which led to tension. Ephron testified that he had been lured to a parking garage for the confrontation, part of which was captured on blurry surveillance footage.
According to Ephron’s account, after some words were exchanged, Mayers pulled a gun from his waistband, aimed it at Ephron’s stomach, and threatened, “I’ll kill you right now.” Ephron claimed two shots were fired, with one grazing his hand.
Mayers’ defense attorney, Joe Tacopina, dismissed the allegations, describing the gun as a “prop gun” and calling it a fake weapon used in movies and music videos. He pointed out that no shell casings or weapons were found at the scene by law enforcement, even after a thorough search. Ephron, Tacopina argued, returned to the location later and “discovered” two shell casings, which he claimed had been left behind after the shooting.
Tacopina also accused Ephron of fabricating the shooting to extort money from Mayers, a claim he reiterated after the verdict. “This was an extortion. The jury saw through the mirage of a case,” Tacopina said, further suggesting that prosecutors should investigate Ephron for potential criminal behavior.
While A$AP Rocky and Rihanna did not immediately comment on the verdict, they had both been present during the trial. Tacopina also praised the couple, describing them as “the greatest people.”
A$AP Rocky rose to stardom in the early 2010s with his hit albums Long. Live. A$AP and At. Long. Last. A$AP. In 2019, he made headlines after being involved in a physical altercation in Sweden, which led to a suspended prison sentence and sparked diplomatic tensions between the United States and Sweden, even prompting an intervention from then-President Donald Trump.
