American Rapper A$AP Rocky has been acquitted of both felony charges against him. In this highly publicized case, the Jury unanimously found the Grammy-nominated artist not guilty.
The tense courtroom, filled with well-wishers, sighed a sigh of relief as the verdict was read. A$AP Rocky, who has been in a relationship with Rihanna and is the father of their two children, was also visibly shaken. The rapper hugged his family as he jumped headfirst over the railing in an attempt to embrace them.
"We want to thank God first. Thank y'all for saving my life. Thank y'all for making the right decision," said the 36-year old Rapper after the verdict during his statement to the press.
He also added:
"I'm thankful and blessed to be here right now, to be a free man talking to y'all,"
The rapper later also posted on X (formerly Twitter):
"DON’T BE DUMB." seemingly a dig at the court case.
Rihanna also took to Instagram to show her gratitude.
"The glory belongs to god and god alone! Thankful, humbled by his mercy!" she wrote.
The "Work" singer appeared in court several times during the trial since it began in January. She brought the couple's sons, RZA and Riot, to the courtroom on Monday as the closing arguments were read.
What was A$AP Rocky accused of?
The case stems from an alleged altercation between A$AP Rocky and A$AP Relli on November 6, 2021. The duo have known each other since childhood and were part of the A$AP mob hip-hop collective. The rapper, set to release his first album since 2018, was arrested in relation to the case in 2022 but was released the same day.
Prosecutors representing Relli, whose real name is Terell Ephron, argued that the "Praise the lord" singer had deliberately shot a semi-automatic weapon at him twice during a heated confrontation on Hollywood Boulevard. One bullet allegedly grazed Relli's knuckles. Relli later sued A$AP for $30 million.
A$AP's defense team, led by Joe Tacopina, argued that there was no real danger, as the gun was a prop from a music video set. Tacopina also claimed that Relli's demands were financially motivated.
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Jurors were shown CCTV footage of the scuffle, but it failed to show any evidence of a shooting. The police were unable to find any shell casings at the scene. A$AP Relli reported the case two days later, alleging that he found the missing casings. A$AP's defense team argued that Relli planted these casings at the scene of the alleged crime.
If convicted, the singer could have up to 24 years in prison. The rapper, in a risky move, rejected the plea deal to one assault charge, which would require him to serve 180 days in prison with a three-year probation and a seven-year suspended prison sentence.
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