The most significant testimony In A$AP Rocky’s trial took a backseat on Wednesday when Rihanna, the rapper’s partner and mother of their children, quietly yet strikingly appeared in the courtroom.
Rihanna attended Rocky’s Los Angeles trial—where he faces two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm—for the first time, sitting between his mother and sister. Despite her understated presence, she commanded attention as his former friend and alleged victim took the stand.
Escorted in and out discreetly, Rihanna was already seated in Rocky’s section before jurors and the media arrived. It’s unclear if the jurors noticed her, but nearly everyone else in the room did. Dressed in a long black coat-style dress, she remained composed, occasionally adjusting oversized tortoiseshell glasses from her head to her eyes.
A$AP Relli’s Testimony
The prosecution’s key witness, A$AP Relli—born Terell Ephron—recounted the events of November 2021, when a confrontation between him and Rocky escalated into gunfire on a Hollywood street. He testified that after a scuffle, Rocky initially walked away but turned back, raised a gun, and fired.
“He turned around and then it was like BOOM!” Relli told the jury. “The whole thing was like a movie. He kind of pointed down and shot the first shot.”
Relli said he felt a burning sensation on his hand, where a bullet grazed him. He claimed Rocky fired a second shot but didn’t see it because he had taken cover behind a mutual friend.
“I felt my hand hot,” Relli recalled. “I was hit. Or I was grazed. I didn’t have a hole or nothing.”
Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Athelston Mayers, could face up to 24 years in prison if convicted. Wearing a tan sport coat and patterned tie, he listened intently as Relli detailed the alleged shooting.
Defense’s Argument
Rocky’s defense team will cross-examine Relli on Thursday, but his attorney has already disputed the claims, arguing that the shots fired were blanks from a starter pistol—a prop, not a real weapon. According to the defense, Relli knew this, which is why he continued walking toward Rocky without fear.
“Oh, it was a real gun,” Relli insisted during prosecution questioning, pointing to his injured hand as proof.
Since going to the police and agreeing to testify, Relli said he has faced death threats and been ostracized as a “snitch,” leading to the collapse of his modest music management career.
“It’s been a living hell,” he said.
Evidence and Text Messages
About an hour after the shooting, Relli returned to the scene, photographing and recovering two shell casings. He testified that police, responding to reports of gunfire, had not found any evidence earlier.
Prosecutors presented text messages between Relli and Rocky, including one in which Relli confronted him:
“U try killing me.”
Rocky denied the accusation, replying:
“Bro wtf is u talkin bout why u tell ppl I shot at u.”
Relli then sent photos of the shell casings and his injured hand. Rocky dismissed his claims as fabricated and accused him of trying to “extort” him.
Rihanna and Rocky’s Relationship
Rihanna and Rocky, both 36, share two sons: 2-year-old RZA Athelston Mayers and 1-year-old Riot Rose Mayers. Rihanna famously revealed her second pregnancy during her 2023 Super Bowl halftime show performance.
The couple’s relationship dates back to 2012 when Rocky featured on Rihanna’s song Cockiness (Love It) and performed with her at the MTV Video Music Awards. They became romantically involved in 2020 and have since established themselves as not only music icons but also fashion moguls.
