ASAP Rocky embraces Rihanna as US rapper found not guilty of firing gun at former friend
19 February 2025, 06:32 | Updated: 19 February 2025, 06:59
ASAP Rocky has been found not guilty by a US court of firing a gun at his former friend.
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Rihanna was in the court room to support her boyfriend - who has fathered two children with the singer - with the pair leaping into an emotional embrace following the verdict.
The verdict, which was delivered by the jury on Tuesday, came after the rapper was charged with two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
Prosecutors had argued that the hip-hop star shot at Terell Ephron during a dispute in 2021.
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But the 36-year-old's attorney told the court that it was a "starter pistol" that only shot blanks.
The pair were once close, the court heard, with both individuals becoming members of the A$AP Mob crew of creators during their time at high school in New York.
But their relationship broke down, with Rocky's fame cited as a reason for the estrangement, the court was told.
"Thank y'all for saving my life," Rocky told jurors as he and Rhianna exited the courtroom.
If convicted, Rocky would have faced more than 24 years in prison.
Speaking outside court, Rocky said: "First of all, I gotta thank god. I really wanna thank the jury for making the right decision.
"I'm so thankful this is crazy right now. I'm thankful... we're blessed to be a freeman talking to all of y'all."
The three week trial culminated in just three hours of jury deliberations, with the musician acquitted of all charges.
During the trial, jurors were shown surveillance footage which prosecutors suggested was evidence of Rocky firing a gun at Ephron outside a Hollywood garage.
However, Rocky's defence suggested Ephron was motivated by "jealousy, lies and greed" and that the gun was actually a "starter pistol" capable of only shooting blanks.
Rocky's girlfriend, international pop star Rihanna, was in court to hear the verdict, with the singer bursting into tears and leaping to hug her boyfriend following the verdict.
Ahead of the trial, the rapper reportedly turned down a final prosecution offer - with authorities proposing a guilty plea to one of his two felony counts in exchange for serving 180 days in prison.
