A$AP Rocky Acquitted of Felony Assault

Rapper A$AP Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, has been acquitted of two felony assault charges related to an alleged shooting incident involving his former friend, Terell Ephron, on a Hollywood street in November 2021.

A Los Angeles jury delivered the not guilty verdict on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, clearing the Grammy-nominated hip-hop star of accusations that he fired a gun at Ephron during a heated argument. The charges carried a potential prison sentence of up to 24 years.

Ephron, who had known Mayers since their high school days in New York and was once part of the A$AP Mob collective, claimed that Mayers opened fire at him during the altercation, grazing his knuckles with one of the shots. However, Mayers denied the allegations, arguing that the weapon involved was a prop gun and that Ephron, who now goes by A$AP Relli, was motivated by financial gain.

As the first not-guilty verdict was read in court, cheers and clapping erupted, with Mayers rushing toward his family and long-time partner, pop star Rihanna, who had been a consistent presence throughout the trial. With tears in his eyes, Mayers embraced them and expressed his relief.

“Thank God for saving my life,” Mayers said, before thanking the 12-person jury for their decision.

Rihanna, who had attended many of the trial’s proceedings, brought their two sons, RZA (2) and Riot (1), to court on the day of the verdict.

The altercation between the two men occurred on November 6, 2021, a day after a disagreement outside a hotel near the Hollywood Walk of Fame. According to Ephron, Mayers pulled a gun from his waistband and threatened his life, saying, “I’ll kill you right now.” Ephron testified that when Mayers began walking away, he followed him and continued to shout at him, after which the rapper allegedly fired multiple shots. One of the bullets was said to have grazed Ephron’s knuckles.

The case centered around the question of whether the weapon was a real firearm or merely a harmless prop, as Mayers’s defense team maintained. Prosecutors argued it was a real weapon, but the gun itself was never recovered by authorities. Surveillance footage from the scene, which included audio of gunfire, did not provide a clear visual of the alleged shooting.

Further complications arose when Ephron delayed reporting the incident to police, taking two days before he presented shell casings he claimed to have retrieved from the scene. However, officers who responded to the reported shooting found no shell casings at the location. Ephron later stated that he returned to the scene with his girlfriend and was able to locate them, but no surveillance footage confirmed his account. Ephron did not seek medical treatment in Los Angeles but did seek care upon returning to New York.

Mayers’s legal team suggested that Ephron may have planted the shell casings in an attempt to frame the rapper.

The trial was marked by emotional moments and contentious exchanges, especially during Ephron’s testimony. At one point, Ephron called one of Mayers’s defense attorneys, Joe Tacopina, “annoying,” prompting a reprimand from the judge. Another notable moment occurred when A$AP Twelvyy, a witness for the defense, was asked about a photograph showing the letters “AWGE” on Mayers’s bed. Mayers unexpectedly interjected, shouting, “Don’t say!” and Twelvyy ultimately refused to provide further details.

Mayers, who is preparing to release his first solo album in nearly a decade, is also scheduled to co-headline the Rolling Loud festival in Los Angeles in March 2025. He will also star alongside Denzel Washington in Spike Lee’s upcoming film Highest 2 Lowest, set to be released in the coming months.