Today, A$AP Rocky was declared not guilty of shooting Terell “A$AP Relli” Ephron in Los Angeles.
The rapper turned down a plea deal that would have landed him six months behind bars and a seven-year suspended sentence, arguing successfully with his team that the police had no solid evidence—no gun or shell casings were found at the scene. They claimed it was all just a prop gun. In 2022, Rocky pleaded not guilty to two felony charges related to assault with a semiautomatic firearm but never took the stand during the trial. Rihanna made waves by showing up in court occasionally to support Rocky along with their two sons. As jurors exited, Rocky expressed gratitude: “Thank y’all for saving my life. Thank y’all for making the right decision.”
Ephron accused Rocky of pulling out a gun during an argument on November 6, 2021, outside a hotel and threatening him by saying, “I’ll kill you right now.” Ephron said he followed Rocky even after he initially walked away, which is when he claims shots were fired and one bullet grazed his knuckles. The defense argued that it was all about a music video prop; they said Ephron felt safe following because he knew it wasn’t real.
A$AP Twelvyy and A$AP Lou stepped up as witnesses for the defense, stating it was indeed a prop gun that Rocky had. However, prosecutor Paul Przelomiec suggested these witnesses might have been coached. He questioned why anyone would use a fake gun if everyone knew it wasn’t real: “The deterrent effect goes completely out the window,” he commented. Przelomiec highlighted recorded evidence from an unwitting phone call where Ephron talked about real guns and events matching his testimony.
Although there was no clear video of what happened during the incident, some audio got caught on surveillance tapes; police thought they saw footage of Rocky with what looked like a gun near where everything went down. But after searching around 20 minutes post-gunshot sounds on sidewalks and streets—nothing turned up: no casings or firearms appeared anywhere! According to Joe Tacopina (Rocky’s lawyer), “I think the police were very competent in this investigation…There’s a reason.”
Terell “A$AP Relli” Ephron previously filed lawsuits against A$AP Rocky over both this alleged shooting incident and claims of defamation in public statements.
