A$AP Rocky was cleared on Tuesday of all charges in a felony assault trial. After a three-week trial, a Los Angeles jury, found the rapper not guilty on all counts.
The hip-hop star gratefully hugged his lawyers after the verdict was read. His partner, Rihanna, with whom he shares two children, was also in the courtroom.
Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, was charged with two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and faced up to 24 years in prison if convicted.
The jury had to reach a unanimous verdict about whether Rocky fired two shots at former friend A$AP Relli near the W Hotel on Hollywood Blvd. on Nov. 6 2021.
Rocky’s defense team insisted that the gun in question was only a prop that shot blanks, an assertion backed by several witnesses although the gun itself was not found, according to media reports.
On Friday, Rocky’s lawyer Joe Tacopina told the Jury that Relli was “a perjury machine” who had merely suffered “knuckle scrapes,” the New York Times reported.
The Los Angeles District Attorney, Nathan Hochman, said in a statement, “While today’s verdict is not the outcome we sought, we respect the jury’s decision and the integrity of our justice system.” He wrote this his office “remains committed to seeking accountability for those who break the law, no matter their status or influence” and that “fame does not place anyone above the law.”
Rocky has been nominated for three Grammys, the most recent for “Best Music Video” for “Tailor Swif,” which was released on Aug. 30, 2024 ahead of his fourth album, “Don’t Be Dumb.”
Watch the moment when A$AP Rocky is found not guilty in the video above.
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