A$AP Rocky has been found NOT GUILTY in his criminal gun trial with his wife Rihanna supporting him in court.
Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayer, was overcome with emotion as the verdict was read out with the courtroom erupting in cheers.
Rocky walked free after a jury acquitted the rapper at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles.
The star was facing two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm after being charged on August 15 2022.
He was accused of shooting his friend A$AP Relli several times in a Hollywood standoff in 2021.
Pop star Rihanna watched from the front row along with Rocky’s mother and sister, Erika B.
But the courtroom was engulfed in loud cheers as the not guilty verdict was read out on live stream on Tuesday.
Upon hearing the verdict, Rocky jumped over the gallery wall as he ran to embrace jubilant supporters in the courtroom – falling over as he did so.
Rocky then celebrated by jumping up and down while hugging people as emotions took over.
As the jurors exited one by one, the rapper was heard saying: “Thank y’all for saving my life”.
Rocky’s partner and mother of his two sons, Rihanna, was reduced to tears and gave his defense attorney Joe Tacopina, a big hug, according to court reports.
With a conviction, Rocky could have been sentenced to as much as 24 years in prison.
However, the Grammy-nominated rapper pleaded not guilty and claimed he was using a prop gun.
The jury of seven women and five men started their deliberations on Tuesday after three weeks of testimony and arguments.
Rocky, who is the longtime partner of pop star Rihanna, initially turned down a plea deal from the prosecution.
Rihanna arrives to support A$AP Rocky in court as he faces 24 years in prison on gun charges
If he had agreed to plead guilty to one count of assault, he would have received 180 days in jail, with three years probation and a seven-year suspended prison sentence.
Prosecutors said Rocky twice fired a gun at his former longtime friend, who goes by A$AP Relli, during a dispute on a Hollywood street in 2021.
Relli, the key witness for the prosecution, said his knuckles were grazed by one of the shots, but he was otherwise uninjured.
The defense argued that Rocky fired blanks from a prop gun that he picked up from a music video set.
The jurors were also instructed that they could find him not guilty if they deemed he was acting in self-defense.
But Defense attorney Joe Tacopina previously alleged that Ephron fabricated his account of the incident earlier.
“This case is about one man’s jealousy, lies and greed, and that man is not Rocky. That man is Terell Ephron,” Tacopina said in his opening statement.
The rapper’s fourth studio album, entitled Don’t Be Dumb, is expected to be released this year.
The verdict comes after Rocky’s superstar girlfriend, Rihanna, showed up in court to support the rapper last week with the pair’s two toddler sons.
The superstar held two-year-old RZA Athleston while she walked into the Los Angeles courtroom.
A few steps ahead of her, a family member carried their 18-month-old son Riot Rose.
The A-list singer has attended multiple court dates since the trial started on January 24.
However, last Thursday was the first time she brought their toddlers.
More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun
