Nearly a month into his assault and weapons trial, rapper A$AP Rocky has been found not guilty.
As the verdict came down in a Los Angeles courtroom on Tuesday evening, Feb. 18, Court TV streamed live and captured the rapper, born Rakim Mayers, celebrating by running over to his superstar girlfriend Rihanna and diving into her arms.
Right before the jury foreman read the verdict, Mayers lowered his head, closed his eyes, and at times clasped his hands as if in prayer.
Outside court, Mayers thanked the jury and said: “I feel blessed to be here. I’m a free man.”
Related: Alleged Victim Tells Court A$AP Rocky ‘Pulled a Gun Out on Me’
His attorney Joe Tacopina criticized alleged victim Terell Ephron, also known as rapper A$AP Relli.
“This was extortion. The extortion played out live, in color and in court. I’ve always said the district attorney should look long and hard at prosecuting Terell Ephron,” Tacopina told reporters after the verdict.
The case centered on accusations that Mayers fired a gun at Ephron, his former childhood friend, during a heated argument in Hollywood on Nov. 6, 2021.
A$AP Rocky was charged with two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm on Aug. 15, 2022.
Ephron testified that Mayers fired two shots at him, with one bullet grazing the knuckles on his left hand. He said he initially didn’t believe Mayers would pull the trigger but recalled his hand feeling “hot” after the first shot, as previously reported.
The alleged victim also testified that going to the police about the shooting ruined his career in hip-hop management, with former associates labeling him a “snitch.”
Throughout the trial, the defense maintained A$AP Rocky was carrying a “harmless” prop gun with blanks inside and there was no way Ephron could have been seriously injured.
A$AP Rocky was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in April 2022 while returning from a trip with Rihanna. The couple shares two young sons.
In November 2023, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge M.L. Villar ruled there was “sufficient evidence” to take the case to trial.
Just before jury selection, the Grammy-nominated artist rejected a plea deal and during the trial declined to testify.
A$AP Rocky had been facing 24 years in a California state prison if found guilty.
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