'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
ASAP Rocky's trial is currently in full swing as the rapper appears in court to defend himself against assault charges stemming from a 2021 shooting incident in Hollywood.
Rocky's attorney mounted their defense against charges that could likely derail the rapper's career, potentially facing multiple years behind bars. His partner Rihanna was seen multiple times seated in court during the trial, which began on January 24, 2025.
Trending
If convicted on these charges, ASAP Rocky could potentially be looking at decades in prison for two felony assault charges. According to the rapper's legal team, the alleged weapon was a "prop gun," claiming the accuser is only after Rakim Mayers' wealth.
The ultimate medical drama is HERE
Breaking down the timeline of ASAP Rocky's ongoing assault case
According to reports, the charges brought against ASAP Rocky relate to a 2021 shooting incident in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
As per court documents, the rapper allegedly fired multiple shots during a confrontation with former friend Terell Ephron, one of which supposedly grazed Mr. Ephron's knuckles.
Below is a complete timeline of events that have transpired before and during Rakim Mayers' 2025 assault trial.
1) A$AP Rocky and Terell Ephron's confrontation (November 6, 2021)
Terell Ephron, also known as A$AP Relli, and Rakim Mayers, also known as A$AP Rocky, were childhood friends.
Both met in high school before going on to become members of the popular New York-based hip-hop collective A$AP Mob, initially formed by the late ASAP Yams in 2006.
Their relationship reportedly soured over time as Mayers' career began to take off, following the release of his debut mixtape Live. Love. ASAP, released on October 31, 2011.
Eventually, their beef would come to a head on November 6, 2021, confirmed in Mr. Ephron's statement last week, when he seemingly confronted Rakim Mayers outside a hotel located almost a block away from the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The pair reportedly got into a disagreement, with prosecutors claiming their confrontation became violent and physical. Allegations from that day suggest that Rocky pulled out a loaded weapon, aimed at Terell, threatening to "shoot and kill" him.
Rocky seemingly then began to walk away from the heated discussion, with court documents outlining Mr. Ephron telling the rapper to fire the weapon while closely following behind him.
Prosecutors claim that this is the point when Mayers allegedly pulled out the weapon once again, opening fire on the Hollywood street. Mr. Ephron supposedly sustained injuries during the encounter, claiming one of the bullets grazed his knuckles.
Authorities stated that parts of this encounter were captured on CCTV footage, some of which have already been played in court. Clips being referred to here include surveillance footage of their discussion as well as audio clips of gunshots being fired, however, no footage of a firearm being discharged was captured.
2) Terell Ephron sues A$AP Rocky (August 2022)
According to a report from Rolling Stone magazine, Terell Ephron first filed his civil lawsuit against ASAP Rocky on August 10, 2022, suing the rapper for assault, battery, and emotional distress.
Before this filing, the rapper was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon in April 2022 at the LAX airport while returning from a trip to Barbados with his partner Rihanna. Mayers seemingly posted a $500,000 bond, before being released shortly after his arrest.
3) A$AP Rocky's assault case heads to trial (January 24, 2025)
Rakim Mayers' trial went to court on January 24, 2025, after initially being rescheduled from November 2024 to allow the rapper to perform his headlining Rolling Loud show in Thailand.
Major contentions in this case revolve around allegations surrounding the loaded weapon, police investigations, and Mr. Ephron's supposed injuries. Mayers' defense team noted that the alleged firearm was a "prop weapon" his security team encouraged him to carry to ward off attackers.
Rakim's attorney also claimed that Mr. Ephron took several days to report the shooting incident to police, citing that authorities found no bullet casings at the location. Court documents detail that Terell seemingly returned to the scene and identified two shell casings, which he brought with him as evidence during his initial police report.
Rakim's legal team noted that Mr. Ephron did not seek immediate medical attention for his supposed injuries, with the prosecution's star witness supposedly seeking treatment only upon his eventual return to New York.
In his closing statement, last Thursday (February 15), ASAP Rocky's lawyer Joe Tacopina asserted that this case was one of "extortion, plain and simple," painting Mr. Ephron as the aggressor and an unreliable liar.
Tacopina reveals several deleted text messages sent by Terell Ephron, suggesting that the prosecution team was only showing Rakim's responses because they were unaware their star witness was lying.
"Their witness lied to them, lied to police and deleted the messages. He destroyed evidence. At first he said: ‘I don’t recall.’ Then I showed him the messages. What did he say next? His go-to line: ‘It’s fake! It’s fake! Anything that crushed him was fake. That was in front of you. Imagine what he’s like in the street,” Joe Tacopina stated.
The prosecution, led by John Lewin, however, implicated Rihanna's presence in court as a move to sway the 12-panel jury in favor of ASAP Rocky during their closing statements, stating:
"They brought in two adorable children yesterday for closing arguments. They haven’t been here any other time. And you have to ask yourselves why children that age would be here in a situation like this. You are not allowed to consider how this might affect Rihanna and his kids. We are all responsible for our own actions in the world.”
Before proceedings began, Joe Tacopina had mentioned to the court how ASAP Rocky intended to keep his family away from the unfoldings of this case, Rihanna has however been present for almost every day of the trial showing support for her partner.
When selecting the jury for this case, the prosecution brought up Rihanna's influence, questioning the members if her connection to Rocky and her presence would influence their decision-making.
While most agreed they were fans of the singer-songwriter, the jurors confirmed that her presence in court or connection to the accused rapper would not affect their ability to deliver a fair verdict.
ASAP Rocky did not testify during the trial, waving his right to take the stand, with the case now concluding without an official comment from the rapper. Major speculation suggested he was expected to argue the weapon he fired was a prop gun loaded with blanks, carried solely for security reasons.
If found guilty on both felony assault charges, Rakim Mayers could potentially face up to 24 years in prison. A panel of 12 jurors is currently in deliberations regarding the result of this trial, with many expecting a final verdict by Wednesday (February 19).
