LOS ANGELES — A man who claims that A$AP Rocky shot a gun at him in 2021 testified on Thursday, indicating that while his account might have altered over the past three years, the essence of what transpired remains unchanged.
“A gun was pulled on me. It was aimed at me, and it was fired later,” stated the individual known as A$AP Relli during the Los Angeles trial involving Rocky, who was once his friend. “It’s been three years. If he were innocent, he would have been free a long time ago.”
Rihanna, the celebrated singer and Rocky’s partner, was present in the audience for a second consecutive day.
After the jury concluded for the day, Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold noted that he had not heard the latter part of Relli’s statement and would advise the jury to ignore it during Friday’s continuation of cross-examination.
Relli, whose legal name is Terell Ephron, testified about an incident on a Hollywood street where he asserted Rocky directed a gun at his stomach and head, though it didn’t physically touch him, while threatening to kill him. Rocky’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, brought up a previous interview from 2022 where Relli mentioned that the gun was pressed against his stomach and claimed he didn’t recall Rocky’s exact words.
In a moment of courtroom disruption earlier in the day, Relli yelled at Rocky, saying, “You did this to yourself.” The judge reprimanded him, to which Relli retorted, “He was staring at me!”
Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Athelaston Mayers, sat quietly in a black suit at the defense table, not responding verbally. He faces two felony charges for assault with a semiautomatic handgun for allegedly shooting at Relli, a long-time acquaintance. A conviction on these charges could result in a prison sentence of up to 25 years.
Rihanna, who shares two young sons with Rocky, made headlines with her attendance at the trial on Wednesday, returning on Thursday to sit with Rocky’s mother and sister. She discreetly entered the courtroom ahead of the majority of attendees, dressed in a white top and gold earrings, attentively observing the trial.
Tacopina’s line of questioning revisited the initial dispute between Relli and Rocky. By the end of the court session for the day, they had not yet discussed the moment when the shots were reportedly fired. Much of the examination involved Relli’s feelings towards Rocky prior to the incident. Relli appeared frequently agitated and evasive, often asking why specific questions were posed and responding with “I don’t recall” even before questions were fully articulated.
He denied having animosity towards Rocky leading up to the alleged shooting, despite being confronted with text messages and earlier testimonies that suggested otherwise. “You’re trying to make me seem like I have some sort of grudge against this guy, but I don’t,” Relli insisted. “I never did. That remains true.”
Tacopina presented messages sent by Relli about two months prior to the incident where he insulted Rocky, referring to him as “fake-ass” due to an alleged lack of support for one of Relli’s projects. Additionally, Relli had mentioned wanting to confront Rocky about a fallen mutual friend’s funeral costs if he didn’t fulfill a promise regarding expenses. He later learned that Rocky had, indeed, covered the costs.
Moreover, Tacopina highlighted text messages exchanged just before the November 6, 2021 incident, where Relli teased Rocky about fake animosity and suggested he wouldn’t mind a confrontation. Relli noted in court, “That doesn’t mean ‘bring a gun.’”
When questioned earlier by the prosecution, Relli had testified that Rocky had pointed a gun at him and fired it, injuring his hand. Meanwhile, Rocky’s defense claims the gun was a starter pistol that only discharges blanks, which he carries as a prop.
Both 36, Rocky and Rihanna are parents to RZA Athelston Mayers, aged two, and Riot Rose Mayers, aged one. The couple grew closer when Rocky contributed a verse to one of Rihanna’s songs in 2012, officially becoming partners in 2020.
Emerging from Harlem, Rocky’s music gained significant traction in New York as early as 2011, culminating in a breakthrough with his debut album topping the Billboard 200 in 2013.
This year appears to be potentially monumental for him as a multimedia celebrity. He is nominated for a Grammy Award, with the ceremony set to take place at the Crypto.com Arena just two miles away from his ongoing trial. Additionally, he is scheduled to star alongside Denzel Washington in an upcoming Spike Lee film and co-chair the prestigious Met Gala in May.
A$AP Rocky’s accuser claims that, despite discrepancies in his account, the reality is that the rapper shot at him.
