Rihanna breaks silence after A$AP Rocky’s acquittal
A$AP Rocky has been caught up in uncertain legal proceedings over the past few weeks, which could have ended up in some serious trouble for the 36-year-old emcee. In 2021, the Long.Live.A$AP creator was charged with assault of a semiautomatic firearm after allegedly firing a gun at his former friend A$AP Relli in Hollywood.
The rapper rejected a plea deal and pleaded not guilty to the two felony charges. After a three-week trial, the jury decided upon a not-guilty verdict.
According to multiple reports, Relli was shouting during the proceedings, which angered the judge and seemed strange for someone who was supposedly a victim. Furthermore, Rocky’s defence attorney, Joe Tacopina, executed some first-class cross-examination of the prosecution’s witnesses.
A$AP Rocky’s wife and the mother of his children, Rihanna, was seen at the trial on multiple occasions, where she sat in the gallery. The ‘Diamonds’ vocalist turned up for her husband on the second day of proceedings but never spoke to the press or online about her thoughts.
The ‘Diamonds’ vocalist was present to hear the verdict, and it has been reported that upon hearing the words “not guilty”, Rocky ran up to his wife and flung his arms around her in relief with the knowledge that he would be able to return to his wife and two children.
It has also been reported that the feeling was mutual and that Rihanna passionately hugged her husband, overcome with emotion and relief that their young sons would still have their father around. The singer later took to Instagram to thank god, writing, “The glory belongs to God and God alone! Thankful, humbled by His mercy!” alongside a prayer emoji.
The ‘L$D’ rhymer was facing a severe penalty, and his decision not to accept a plea deal was a huge risk. If found guilty by the jury, Rocky could have faced a maximum prison sentence of 24 years (meaning that he potentially could have been behind bars up until he turned 60). When the jurors left the room, A$AP Rocky spoke to them directly, stating, “Thank y’all for saving my life!”
Rocky spoke to TMZ reporters outside the LA courtroom about the verdict, stating, “We want to thank God first, you know what I’m saying?” Rocky said before going on to thank the jury again. He continued, “This whole experience has been crazy for the past four years, but I’m thankful, nonetheless. Blessed to be here right now, to be a free man talking to y’all. Thank you. All praise to God.”
A$AP Relli is yet to speak out about the verdict and has shown no willingness to speak with the media about Rocky.