A$AP Rocky is home for the holidays, but he’s been ordered to return to court in January.
On Monday (Nov. 20), a Los Angeles judge ruled there was enough evidence to support two counts of assault with a firearm, per Business Insider. The charges stem from an incident on Nov. 6, 2021, between Rocky and his former friend, Terell Ephron — known as A$AP Relli. Rocky is accused of firing shots at Relli during a disagreement.
Officials arrested A$AP Rocky in April 2022 in connection to the case. Police detained him at the Los Angeles International Airport after he landed from a Barbados trip with his girlfriend Rihanna. At the time, they reportedly raided the couple’s LA home for evidence. Rocky eventually paid the $550,000 bond and has been out awaiting the next steps. Last November, he was charged.
On Thursday, Judge M.L. Villar set his arraignment date for January 8.
What A$AP Relli Testified About Incident With Rocky
Relli recently took the stand during a preliminary hearing and testified to being childhood friends with Rocky. However, their relationship soured over the years, which Relli blamed on Rocky becoming “big-headed” after finding solo success, per PEOPLE.
Then in Oct. 2021, a mutual friend of theirs died, and Rocky allegedly promised to pay for the funeral expenses. His lawyer, Joe Tacopina, has said Rocky did pay in full, but Relli seemingly didn’t believe the rapper. Relli cut the friendship after he allegedly heard Rocky badmouthing him on the phone to another friend.
Then, Relli ran into Rocky and two other friends on Hollywood Boulevard on Nov. 6. Prosecutors have shown footage in court that shows A$AP Rocky walking toward Relli before shoving him — a moment Relli testified about.
“He grabbed me on my collar. He was shaking me. I tried to push him off, get his hands off,” Relli said. “That’s when [Rocky] pulled a gun from his waistband. It was a standard clip and a semi-automatic black gun.”
Here are the surveillance videos of the alleged shooting by A$AP Rocky. The judge agreed today they don't show actual shooting but you can hear gunshots.
I am going through a massive amount of video footage right now that I will be sharing tonight/tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/OaWZQXccdA
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) November 21, 2023
Relli said A$AP Rocky pointed the firearm at his stomach, chest, and head while threatening to kill him at that moment. He says the superstar rapper fired two shots at him from about 16 feet away.
More surveillance footage shows who prosecutors have identified as Rocky holding what looks like a weapon. While the video reportedly features two gunshots, per the judge’s ruling, Rocky is not seen on camera firing any weapons.
Additional evidence includes two 9mm shell casings which Relli recovered from the scene and turned over to police. He didn’t report the incident to local cops until Nov. 9. The casings also did not have any fingerprints, and police’s search of Rocky’s home did not produce a matching weapon.
A$AP Rocky’s Lawyer Says Evidence Against Relli Will Be Revealed
Meanwhile, Rocky’s lawyer appears confident that additional evidence will vindicate his client. He alleges the shooting never happened and that the case is a ploy for a money grab. For context, Relli is also suing Rocky in civil court for about $25,000 and additional coins for expenses like medical.
“There’s some evidence that’s going to be insurmountable. The witness is not going to be able to withstand cross-examination in front of the jury,” Tacopina said on Monday.
See clips of the hearing here.
