Rihanna’s longtime partner, rapper A$AP Rocky, was found not guilty on all charges Tuesday as a Los Angeles jury acquitted him in his felony assault trial.
The 36-year-old Grammy-nominated artist had faced two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm stemming from a 2021 shooting incident. If convicted, he could have faced up to 24 years in prison.
As the verdict was read in the downtown Los Angeles courtroom, Rihanna was visibly emotional, breaking down in tears before Rocky rushed to embrace her.
“Thanks y’all for saving my life,” Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, told the jury of seven women and five men as he left the courtroom, according to the Associated Press. The rapper was also seen emotionally embracing his attorneys following the verdict.
The jury reached its unanimous decision after about three hours of deliberation, wrapping up the high-profile trial that had captured national attention.
Before the trial, Rocky had turned down a plea deal from prosecutors that would have required him to plead guilty to one count in exchange for a six-month jail sentence and probation. Confident in his innocence, he opted to take his chances with a jury.
With two young sons at home with Rihanna—2-year-old RZA Athelston Mayers and 1-year-old Riot Rose Mayers—Rocky’s gamble paid off, as jurors determined there was at least reasonable doubt regarding his guilt.
Rihanna attended the trial sporadically and was present for some closing arguments, bringing their children along for support.
With the verdict behind him, Rocky now looks ahead to a pivotal year in his career.
He is slated to headline the Rolling Loud music festival in March, co-chair fashion’s biggest night at the Met Gala in May, and star alongside Denzel Washington in director Spike Lee’s upcoming film *Highest 2 Lowest*, set for release in early summer.
Prosecutors alleged that Rocky was involved in a dispute with A$AP Relli, a former high school friend and member of the A$AP Mob. Authorities claimed that during a confrontation on November 6, 2021, in Hollywood, Rocky fired twice, grazing Relli’s knuckle.
Rocky’s defense attorney, Joe Tacopina, countered the allegations, calling Relli “an angry pathological liar” who had “committed perjury again and again.”
Defense witnesses claimed Rocky was carrying a prop gun that only fired blanks, which he had taken from a music video set months earlier. They argued that he discharged it as a warning after Relli allegedly attacked another member of their group.
Jurors were instructed that if they believed Rocky had reason to fear imminent harm and used reasonable force, they could find him not guilty.
It remains unclear whether the jury believed Rocky was carrying a prop gun or that he acted in self-defense. They were not required to agree on the reasoning, only to reach the same verdict.
Rocky declined to testify in his own defense.
During closing arguments, Deputy District Attorney John Lewin urged jurors not to let Rocky’s celebrity status or Rihanna’s presence sway their decision.
“You are not allowed to consider how this might affect Rihanna and his kids,” Lewin stated, suggesting Rihanna’s presence with their children was an attempt to elicit sympathy.
Despite the prosecution’s efforts, the jury ruled in Rocky’s favor, clearing him of all charges and allowing him to move forward without the looming threat of prison.
