A$AP Rocky's friend-turned-accuser to testify at LA shooting trial
A$AP Rocky's friend-turned-accuser to testify at LA shooting trial
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A$AP Rocky's accuser, former friend and the key witness at his trial is set to take the stand Tuesday afternoon. Rocky, the rapper and partner of Rihanna, has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm for allegedly firing at the friend who goes by A$AP Relli.
Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, met Relli, born Terell Ephron, in high school in New York when both were part of a crew of creators who called themselves A$AP — which stands for Always Strive and Prosper. They remained close for years, as Rocky’s star rose. But their relationship soured, coming to a head on Nov. 6, 2021, when the two aired their grievances in a confrontation on the streets of Hollywood. Prosecutors say Rocky pulled out a handgun and fired two shots at Relli, who says the bullet grazed his knuckles.
The defense argues Relli was the aggressor, and Rocky fired a starter pistol to break up a fight between him and another member of their crew. They said Rocky carried the pistol, which only shoots blanks, for security. Before the jury was brought in, the defense revealed that they do not have the pistol.
“Does the prop gun exist?” Judge Matthew Arnold asked. “The prop gun did exist,” Rocky's lawyer Joe Tacopina said. “It does not now. We don’t have it.”. Rocky's lawyers said Relli, who has also filed a civil lawsuit, is driven by “jealousy, lies and greed" and fabricated large parts of the story to get money.
