A$AP Rocky acquitted of assault charges, celebrates emotional courtroom moment with Rihanna

Hip-hop star A$AP Rocky walked out of a Los Angeles courtroom a free man on Tuesday after being found not guilty on two felony assault charges involving a semiautomatic firearm. The verdict, which came after just three hours of jury deliberation, was met with an emotional outpouring—both from Rocky and his longtime partner, global superstar Rihanna.

According to a report on AP, The courtroom erupted in cheers as the 35-year-old rapper, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, jumped from the defense table and into the arms of Rihanna, who was seated between his mother and sister.

The couple embraced, tears streaming down their faces. The moment marked the end of a tense legal battle that could have resulted in a prison sentence of more than two decades.

Rocky had turned down a plea deal offered by prosecutors, which would have required him to serve six months in jail along with probation, choosing instead to fight the charges in court. His decision proved successful, as the jury found there was at least reasonable doubt regarding his guilt.

“Thank y’all for saving my life,” Rocky told the jury as they exited the courtroom.

Even amid the chaos of the verdict announcement, the clerk had to pause before reading the second not guilty verdict, though legal experts say it was unlikely the jury would have split their decision on the charges.

The charges stemmed from a 2021 confrontation in Hollywood between Rocky and his former friend, A$AP Relli, a fellow member of the A$AP Mob collective. Prosecutors alleged that Rocky pulled a gun and fired two shots, one of which grazed Relli's knuckle. However, Rocky’s defense argued that the weapon was a prop gun loaded with blanks, which he had carried for security purposes since retrieving it from a music video set. His attorneys maintained that Rocky only fired warning shots because Relli was attacking another crew member.

The jurors were given two possible justifications for acquittal: either believing Rocky was indeed carrying a prop gun or accepting that he acted in self-defense. According to AP, they did not need to agree on the reasoning—only on the final verdict.

Throughout the trial, Rihanna was a visible source of support. She attended court intermittently and even brought the couple’s two young sons—2-year-old RZA and 1-year-old Riot Rose—for parts of the closing arguments (AP). Outside the courthouse, she embraced Rocky’s legal team, visibly relieved after the verdict was read.

Deputy District Attorney John Lewin had cautioned jurors against letting the rapper’s celebrity status or family situation influence their decision. He even suggested that Rihanna bringing the children to court was a tactic to sway the jury (AP). However, Rocky’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, dismissed this claim, saying, “Rocky did not want her here, I will tell you that... Wild horses couldn’t keep her away”