(31 Jan 2025)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Los Angeles – 30 January 2025
1. Wide shot A$AP Rocky (Rakim Athelston Mayers) arriving at court surrounded by photographers
POOL
Los Angeles – 30 January 2025
2. A$AP Relli on stand, Judge Mark Arnold explaining process to Relli
++SEPARATED BY BLACK++
3. A$AP Relli on stand
STORYLINE:
The man who alleges rapper A$AP Rocky fired a handgun at him in 2021 balked and bristled under cross-examination Thursday.
The defense questioning of A$AP Relli, the trial’s most important witness, got off to a stumbling start as he repeatedly demanded to know why defense attorney Joe Tacopina was asking certain questions, so much so that Judge Mark Arnold called a recess so the prosecution and his own lawyer could explain to Relli how to answer properly in court.
Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Athelston Mayers, is on trial on two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm for allegedly firing on Relli, born Terell Ephron. The charges, with a conviction, could lead to up to 25 years in prison. Rocky sat at the defense table wearing a black suit and watching the witness intently. He did not audibly respond to Relli’s shout.
Rihanna, the singing superstar who is his longtime partner and the mother of their two toddler sons, caused a stir with her first appearance at his trial Wednesday, and was back sitting between Rocky’s mother and sister on Thursday. She was again brought into the courtroom surreptitiously before most of the rest of the audience. She wore a white top and gold earrings, and calmly followed the proceedings.
Relli grew frustrated by the questions asked by Tacopina, Rocky’s attorney. The defense showed screenshots of Relli’s Instagram posts in an attempt to contradict his earlier testimony that he had nothing but love for Rocky before the shooting, but that he’d been so shunned for coming forward that his business was ruined and that he had no social media presence.
“Why are you showing my Instagram? I’m already getting death threats,” Relli said to Tacopina.
“Who is giving you death threats?” Tacopina asked.
“The whole world!” Relli responded.
“The whole world gave you death threats?” Tacopina asked.
“Yeah, cause you’re saying I’m an extortionist and you’re putting my whole life out there,” Relli said.
Relli is suing Tacopina for libel in civil court for his public statements, and suing Rocky over the incident. The defense is using the lawsuits to cast him as someone just seeking money from a false story.
The testimony had barely even addressed the incident itself when the trial broke for lunch.
While testifying a day earlier, Relli described the night in November of 2021 when he and Rocky, their relationship straining, had a confrontation and scuffled on a Hollywood street, and Rocky pointed a gun at him before walking away.
He testified that he was shouting at Rocky as he walked after him, then Rocky pulled the gun again and held it in the air.
He said he felt like his hand was burning where a bullet grazed it.
Rocky’s lawyer says the shots he fired were not even from a real gun — they were blanks from a starter pistol that he carried as a prop. The lawyer said Relli knew this, and that was why he was so fearless walking after him.
About an hour after the shooting, Relli returned to the scene and said he photographed and recovered two shell casings. Earlier, while responding to a report of a shooting, police did not find any.
He’s also set to star opposite Denzel Washington in a film directed by Spike Lee, and to co-chair the Met Gala in May.
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