The trial of rapper A$AP Rocky in Los Angeles has drawn significant attention, partly because his partner, Rihanna, attended the proceedings for the first time on Wednesday. Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Athelston Mayers, faces up to 24 years in prison if convicted on charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. His former friend, Terell Ephron, known as A$AP Relli, testified about a confrontation on a Hollywood street in November 2021, during which he claims Rocky fired at him, causing a bullet to graze his hand.
Rihanna sat between Rocky's sister and mother. Her presence turned heads, although it was unclear if jurors noticed her. In court, she observed the proceedings, occasionally adjusting her oversized glasses. Relli recounted the night to the jury, said "he turned around and then it was like BOOM!" He also claimed he felt a burning sensation from a bullet graze, emphasizing his belief that a real gun, not a starter pistol holding blanks that Rocky carried as a prop, as Rocky's lawyer suggests, was used. Messages between Relli and Rocky shown in court included Relli's accusation, "U try killing me," to which Rocky replied, denying the claim: "Bro wtf is u talkin bout why u tell ppl I shot at u."
Relli also testified he found and photographed two shell casings after returning to the scene; cops had not found any there when they responded to the report of a shooting. Since deciding to cooperate with the authorities, Relli says he has experienced threats and professional fallout, describing his life as "a living hell" post-incident. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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