Rihanna makes first court appearance at the trial of her partner A$AP Rocky, as accuser testifies
4 min readRihanna made her first court appearance at the trial of her partner, rapper A$AP Rocky, in downtown Los Angeles, where he is facing felony charges for allegedly firing a gun at a former friend. The singer, who shares two young children with Rocky, was seated out of view of the courtroom cameras on Wednesday morning. She sat next to Rocky’s mother and sister, entering the courtroom discreetly to avoid attracting attention.
A$AP Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Athelston Mayers, has been standing trial for two felony charges related to an incident in 2021, when he allegedly shot at a former friend, Terell Ephron, who goes by the name A$AP Relli. Relli was the key witness in the case and took the stand on Wednesday to testify about the incident. He recalled being shot or grazed during a confrontation on a Hollywood street. “I was hit. Or I was grazed. I didn’t have a hole or nothing,” Relli told the jury.
The altercation unfolded after a disagreement between the two men, who had been friends but whose relationship had soured in recent years, especially after Rocky’s rise to fame. Relli explained that, after the first shot was fired, he grabbed one of their mutual friends for protection and tried to hide behind him. He stated he did not see the second shot fired, but after Rocky ran away, Relli chased after him, shouting at him. At this point, he said Rocky turned around and fired again, lifting the gun and aiming it downward.
During jury selection, prosecutors had raised concerns about whether Rihanna’s presence in the courtroom could influence jurors’ decisions, given her global fame. Most potential jurors had heard of Rihanna, and several admitted to being fans, but all assured the court that her involvement would not impact their impartiality in delivering a verdict.
If convicted, A$AP Rocky faces up to 24 years in prison on two felony counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm. The trial, which began on January 21, has included testimony from both Relli and Rocky. Relli, born Terell Ephron, explained that he and Rocky had been close in their early years, both being part of A$AP, a collective that started in New York. However, as Rocky’s fame grew, their friendship deteriorated, and their relationship became strained.
Relli recalled the moments leading up to the alleged shooting, explaining that he never expected their meeting to escalate into violence. “I told him to use it. Because mentally I couldn’t believe it,” Relli testified, visibly emotional. He stated that he had hoped for an argument and possible reconciliation, not a violent confrontation. “I physically could not believe there was a gun in my face,” Relli said. “That was the breaking point for me.”
He added that he felt insignificant compared to Rocky’s fame, saying, “He’s famous, I’m nobody.” Relli also mentioned that his lawyer would argue that the shots fired were from a starter pistol, which Rocky carried as a prop, not a real weapon.
Rocky, who rose to prominence in the early 2010s with his hit albums, has since become a multimedia star. His 2013 album, Long.Live.A$AP, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and his second album, At.Long.Last.A$AP, did the same in 2015. He has been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Music Video for his song “Tailor Swift” and is set to headline the Rolling Loud Music Festival. Additionally, he will star in a film directed by Spike Lee alongside Denzel Washington, and he is expected to co-chair the prestigious Met Gala in May.
Despite his career successes, the ongoing trial casts a shadow over Rocky’s upcoming endeavors, especially considering the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence if convicted.
Rocky and Rihanna, both 36, have two children together: 2-year-old RZA Athelston Mayers and 1-year-old Riot Rose Mayers. Rihanna revealed she was expecting their second son during her performance at the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show, when her visible baby bump made headlines. The couple, who became romantically involved in 2020, first connected years earlier when Rocky featured on Rihanna’s 2012 song “Cockiness (Love It),” and they performed the track together at the MTV Video Music Awards.
As the trial continues, the presence of Rihanna in the courtroom highlights the personal stakes involved for both the singer and the rapper. Their future, both as individuals and as a family, hangs in the balance as the legal proceedings unfold.
Source: CNN
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