A$AP Rocky has been in court for weeks, with Rihanna by his side, facing allegations of involvement in a 2021 shooting. Following the trial, he was acquitted of all charges.
The rapper, who was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department at LAX in August 2022, had previously declined a pre-trial plea deal that would have resulted in a six-month sentence. He also refused to plead guilty, even though he faced the risk of several years in prison.
Now that the verdict is in, here’s everything you need to know about his involvement, the charges, and other key details of his case.
What Was ASAP Rocky Charged With?
A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, was charged with two felony accounts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. He had an altercation in California in 2021, with his former collaborator, A$AP Relli, whose real name is Terell Ephron, according to CourtTV. A$AP Relli shared in court: “[A$AP Rocky] turned around and then it was like ‘BOOM!’ The whole thing was like a movie. He kind of like pointed down and he shot the first shot. I felt my hand hot. I was hit. Or I was grazed. I didn’t have a hole or nothing,” per CourtTV. A$AP Rocky’s lawyer claimed that his client didn’t use a real gun, and that the shots were actually blanks from a starter pistol that the rapper carries as a prop. Seven police officers searched the scene and didn’t find any evidence. However, A$AP Relli brought them two shell casings that he allegedly found himself at the same spot.
Is ASAP Rocky Going to Jail?
In 2022, A$AP Rocky was arrested and faced up to 24 years in prison. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was offered a plea deal that would have resulted in a 180-day jail sentence, but he rejected the offer.
Now, after a jury determined he was not guilty in his 2025 trial, Rocky will avoid jail time. He expressed his gratitude to the 12-person jury, which included seven women and five men, saying, “Thank y’all for saving my life.”
Are ASAP Rocky & Rihanna Still Together?
A$AP Rocky and Rihanna are going strong, and the singer showed her man support in the courtroom. The love birds first performed together at MTV’s VMA Awards, in 2012. In 2013, A$AP Rocky joined the star as her opener during her Diamonds tour in America. Also, Rihanna starred in A$AP Rocky’s “Fashion Killa” music video the same year. Fast forward to 2019, the duo made their first red carpet-appearance together at the British Fashion Awards. A year later, People confirmed their relationship. In 2021, A$AP Rocky lovingly called Rihanna “the love of his life,” sharing with GQ: “[Life is] so much better when you got ‘the One.’ She amounts to probably, like, a million of the other ones. I think when you know, you know. She’s the One.”
The happy couple welcomed their first child in 2022, a son named RZA, and their second son, Riot Rose Mayers, a year later. A$AP Rocky shared with Dazed, what kind of parent he wanted to be: “I will always remind my children to never lose their imagination, even as adults, no matter what. I actually love to watch cartoons – I’ve watched like, Teletubbies, Blue’s Clues, Yo Gabba Gabba, Peppa Pig and Baby Shark. I hope to raise open-minded children. Not people who discriminate. And I’m not trying to describe a saint, but realistically, I just want a cool child with cool parents.”
This story originally appeared on Hollywoodlife
