LOS ANGELES, CA — A$AP Rocky is walking free after a jury found him not guilty on two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. The rapper, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, had been accused of firing a gun at his former friend and bandmate, Terrell Ephron, known as A$AP Relli during a heated argument in 2021.
The verdict follows a three-week trial in which prosecutors painted Mayers as an aggressor who shot Ephron over a personal dispute. The 36-year-old rapper, who pleaded not guilty, faced up to 24 years in prison, though prosecutors sought eight. His defense team argued that Ephron had assaulted him twice that night and that Mayers only fired a prop gun to prevent further violence.
During closing arguments, Deputy District Attorney Paul Przelomiec told jurors the case came down to a single question: whether Mayers used a real or fake gun. The jury ultimately sided with the defense, clearing the rapper of all charges.
Mayers chose not to testify in his own defense and previously declined a pre-trial plea deal that would have resulted in 180 days in jail. His partner and global superstar Rihanna, arrived at the courthouse with their two children ahead of closing arguments and returned Friday as the verdict was read.
The case stemmed from an alleged confrontation near a Hollywood hotel where Mayers and his A$AP collective were meeting to settle a dispute. Prosecutors claimed he pulled a semiautomatic pistol from his waistband, pointed it at Ephron, and fired twice. Ephron testified that one of the bullets grazed his hand.
Now, with the trial behind him, Mayers walks away without a conviction, avoiding a lengthy prison sentence that could have dramatically changed the trajectory of his career.