Is Rihanna married? Judge in A$AP Rocky's assault trial seems confused about whether to call the singer defendant's wife

A video clip from the courtroom debate in relation to A$AP Rocky's upcoming trial was uploaded on X on Thursday, January 16, 2025. In the video, LA Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold was heard asking Rocky's attorney, Joe Tacopina, about the rapper's relationship with Rihanna.

"Is it his girlfriend?" the judge asked.

Tacopina responded that Rihanna can be referred to as his common-law wife, which is a term used for a woman who lives with a man in a marriage-like relationship without being legally married.

The Deputy District Attorney, John Lewin, then said that if Rihanna and A$AP Rocky weren't legally married, they preferred she not be referred to as his wife. In response, the judge asked:

"Are they legally married anywhere?"

As Rocky's attorney claimed not to know the answer, they decided to call the Umbrella singer his "significant other."

So far, neither Rihanna nor A$AP Rocky have confirmed whether or not they're married to each other. However, the couple does share two children. Neither of them were present at the debate.

According to a Daily Mail article published on January 15, 2025, A$AP Rocky's trial is scheduled to start on January 21, with the selection of a 12-person jury being the first step.

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A$AP Rocky was charged with assault with a semiautomatic firearm

Daily Mail reported that a readiness trial hearing of A$AP Rocky's upcoming trial took place at a downtown LA criminal court on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, where the 36-year-old wasn't present.

A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, faces charges related to a November 2021 incident involving fellow rapper A$AP Relli, originally named Terell Ephron. The former allegedly shot the latter with a semiautomatic firearm during the encounter.

The Holy Ghost rapper has pledged not guilty to the felony charges pressed against him. The trial, which will begin next week, is taking place after two years since the allegations against Rocky initially surfaced.

Neither Rihanna nor A$AP Rocky have confirmed whether they are married or not (Image via Getty)

Per Tribune, the rapper's attorney, Joe Tacopina, spoke to Extra about his client's eagerness to move forward from the incident, saying:

"It’s been a long time. It’s been over two years. Obviously, it’s been weighing over Rocky and Rihanna and their family. We’re anxious to get this thing underway and get this behind him and them."

When Tacopina was asked about Rihanna's possible involvement in the upcoming legal proceedings, the attorney clarified that the Diamonds singer is not likely to play any role in it, adding:

"Rocky’s very protective of Rihanna and doesn’t want her anywhere near this proceeding."

According to Daily Mail, the prosecutors involved in the trial presented surveillance camera footage at a preliminary hearing to support their allegations. They alleged that in an argument between Ephron and Mayers, the former pointed a handgun at Ephron, firing it twice toward him and injuring him in the process.

Ephron's testimony at the hearing included that Rocky told him, "I'll kill you right now," while holding a gun to his stomach before firing off rounds. His suit alleged that Ephron, who was "in fear of his life," was struck by the bullet's fragment, leading to his hand injuries that required medical attention.

Following Ephron's filing in 2021, Rocky was arrested at the LAX airport in April 2022 as he stepped off a private plane from Barbados. The Peso rapper was held by the cops on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and then released on a $550,000 bail.

A possibility of a settlement was discussed recently, which Tacopina claimed his client wasn't interested in, telling the media outlet:

"He did not commit a crime."

If convicted of the charges pressed against him, A$AP Rocky will face up to 24 years in prison.

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Ephron and Rocky were both members of the ASAP Mob rap collective that started in Harlem in 2006.