A$AP Rocky Posed With A Revolver-Themed Accessory At The Met Gala Less Than Three Months After He Was Cleared Of Gun Charges, And People Have Thoughts
Arturo Holmes/MG25 / Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
For reference, this year's theme was Superfine: Tailoring Black Style with a 'Tailored for You' dress code.
And it's fair to say that it was a pretty strong night for Rocky, with the star hitting the headlines when his girlfriend, Rihanna, confirmed that she is pregnant with their third child ahead of the iconic red carpet.
Taylor Hill / Getty Images
Related: 28 Celebs Who Never Seem To Get Canceled Despite Some Pretty Awful Behavior
In addition, Rocky was undeniably among the best dressed of the night, with the star exceptionally on-theme in a custom design from his own creative agency, AWGE. He expertly mixed sportswear with the Black dandy inspiration behind the dress code, with Rocky also telling Vogue that he sought inspiration from his Harlem youth when executing the look.
Theo Wargo / FilmMagic
However, there is one part of the artist's Met Gala outfit that has divided people, with some social media users left unimpressed when they noted that Rocky had accessorized with an umbrella that has a revolver handle after recently being cleared of gun-related assault allegations in court.
Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
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If you need reminding, in February, the star was found not guilty on two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. He had been accused of shooting his former friend A$AP Relli, real name Terell Ephron, during an altercation in 2021.
Pool / Getty Images
The Los Angeles County trial lasted for three weeks, and Rocky — real name Rakim Mayers — could have faced 24 years in prison if found guilty, but prosecutors only sought eight years.
At the time, prosecutors alleged that Rocky pulled a semiautomatic pistol from his waistband and pointed it at Relli as he said: 'I'm going to kill you.' The two had apparently met up close to a Hollywood hotel to settle a dispute, and Relli alleged that Rocky fired in his direction twice — claiming that one of the bullets grazed his hands.
However, Rocky's defense argued that the weapon allegedly used in the shooting was just a 'prop gun,' or a starter pistol, not a real firearm. The 'fake gun' proved to be a key part of the trial, with witnesses testifying that Rocky did not carry a real weapon, but had the prop gun when he did not have security with him. It was claimed that Rocky fired the prop gun to stop Relli from attacking one of their friends.
Rocky was found not guilty by the jury, and famously leaped over the stand to hug Rihanna in court when the verdict was announced.
Still, some found Rocky's inclusion of a gun in his Met Gala look less than three months later to be in bad taste, with a viral tweet reading: 'A revolver handle umbrella after beating a gun case is diabolical.'
Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images
At the time of writing, this tweet has been seen more than five million times and has hundreds of thousands of likes, retweets, and replies.
'This gun-handled umbrella is such a bold, dangerous statement to make after beating his case,' another popular tweet echoes.
'does rocky, a man accused of shooting someone, have a bedazzled GUN?' somebody else asked, while one more wrote: 'A pistol handle umbrella. This man is crazy.'
What do you make of Rocky's gun-inspired accessory? Let me know in the comments below!
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Also in Celebrity: 16 Celebrities Who Are So Freaking Talented, They Could Be Famous For Something Entirely Different Than What You Know Them From
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Yahoo
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- Yahoo
Mayor Aftab Pureval says 'too many Cincinnatians don't feel safe'
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Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich previously said in a statement to The Enquirer that she will prosecute the attackers in the fight "to the fullest extent of the law." U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno said the FBI is in the midst of an investigation on orders from the U.S. attorney general, but The Enquirer was not able to confirm an official investigation With this, Gov. Mike DeWine said on July 30 that the Ohio State Highway Patrol is "working and in-touch" with the Cincinnati Police Department after Mayor Aftab Pureval accepted his offer for some law enforcement assistance. Along with Pureval's announcement on Aug.1, Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has chosen Jim & Jack's for his upcoming town hall on Aug. 4 to address Ohio's crime concerns. Ramaswamy's town hall will "reflect on recent events & discuss how to improve in the future," he posted on the Facebook announcement of the event. The incident gained national attention after commentary from Cincinnati Republican mayoral candidate Cory Bowman, Elon Musk and prominent social media accounts like Libs of TikTok. "We plan to invite city officials, community leaders, and any of the victims from Friday's assault who wish to participate. When people feel afraid to speak their minds, that's when frustration festers & we can't let that happen," Ramaswamy, who grew up in the Cincinnati suburb of Evendale, said in the post. Is crime in Cincinnati increasing? The latest crime data provided by the city shows shootings are down when compared with data from this time last year, but property crimes, particularly in Over-the-Rhine and Downtown, are up: In Downtown and Over-the-Rhine, there have been nearly double the number of burglaries, breaking-and-entering incidents and thefts from cars so far this year. Citywide, there have been 34 reported homicides, compared to 30 at this time last year. More than a third of those killings have happened in the past month. In Over-the-Rhine, there have been five homicides this year, three of which have been in the past month. Reported shootings remain down across the city. Cincinnati police report 110 people have been shot so far this year, compared with 142 at this point in 2024. Have Downtown residents, workers expressed safety concerns? A logistics firm near downtown Cincinnati is relocating its offices to Blue Ash following a string of violent incidents in and around the city center in recent weeks, including a violent altercation at Fourth and Elm streets. Victor Louis, founder and CEO of One Logistics Network, said in an interview with The Enquirer that the July 26 incident was a factor in his decision to move, but he's been contemplating a move for months and signed a lease last week for new office space near Summit Park in Blue Ash. Cincinnati's Downtown restaurateurs, including the CEO of Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment, have called for a "real plan" to address the recent public safety concerns. More than 100 people packed a community meeting with Cincinnati leaderson July 29 that had been scheduled before the fight. "I will not tolerate lawlessness on the streets of Cincinnati," Theetge said during the July 29 meeting at the Cincinnati Public Library. "I owe it to you as people who live and work here to get the lawlessness under control." One resident questioned the department's response to the fight during the early hours of Saturday morning, asking Theetge how many 911 calls for noise complaints or other disorder police received prior to the fight breaking out. A woman chimed in that there was at least one, indicating she had called that night. "Downtown was hopping. It was loud. It was crowded. It was noisy," Theetge said, admitting she did not have the exact number of calls for noise complaints or disorder that night. The chief said there was only one other medical run for the fire department that evening that she knew of. The Enquirer will update this developing news report. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati brawl viral video: what happened, victims, reactions Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
More police and more arrests expected in wake of Cincinnati brawl, mayor and chief say
This story has been updated to reflect the latest number of people arrested. Cincinnati's mayor and police chief expect more arrests and charges in the viral street fight that has drawn national attention, they said in a press conference Aug. 1. They also unveiled how they will increase police presence in Downtown, including a bike patrol on and around Fountain Square and using Ohio State Highway Patrol officers for traffic details on highways. The press conference came nearly a week after the July 26 street fight in the Downtown business district. Three people have been arrested after videos of the fight have gone viral, becoming part of a broader national argument about politics, crime and race. Multiple videos of the 3 a.m. fight Downtown circulated on social media over the weekend, showing a fight breaking out in a crowd. In one, people threw punches, kicked and jeered as a man on the ground tried to fend off the blows and a woman tumbled to the concrete, bloody and disoriented. Here are six takeaways from the press conference on how city leaders are addressing the fallout from the fight and the rising concerns over crime. Attorney: Video shows racial slurs that 'triggered' downtown Cincinnati brawl Dozens of community leaders stood with the mayor Dozens of community leaders flanked Mayor Aftab Pureval, Police Chief Teresa Theetge and City Manager Sheryl Long as they addressed the media in a room below the carousel along the city's riverfront. They included activist and pastor, Rev. Damon Lynch III, multiple City Council members, Visit Cincy President Julie Calvert and activist and city consultant Iris Roley. Pureval called for unity. "Too many Cincinnatians don't feel safe," Pureval said. "We have to make the city safer right now." More arrests likely Six people have been charged with felonious assault and aggravated rioting, four of which have been arrested, Theetge said. Police are still looking for the other two and will name them when they're apprehended, she said. They plan to release more footage of the incident next week, she said. "This remains an open investigation, and I assure you, we will not stop until justice is fully served," Theetge said. Others could be charged, the mayor said, but she wouldn't provide specifics. "This incident will require further investigation, further charges and further arrests for every single person involved," Pureval said. 'Slapper' being investigated Some videos show a man slapping another individual, which led to the brawl's escalation. The city is actively investigating him, Pureval said. Lynch raised the question of why only Black people in the video have been arrested. "When I see the mugshots, I only see people who look like me," Lynch said. "I don't see the person who ... slapped another Black man. So I don't see the slapper's mugshot." Lynch recounted what he saw in the videos. He said a Black man and White man were engaged in a verbal altercation. He said a second Black man stepped in and try to calm things down. Then, the White man reengaged and slapped a third Black that happened, Lynch said the White man was met with "disproportionate force." The police have reached out to the man who administered the slap but were stopped by the man's attorney, Theetge said. "The counsel said, 'No,'" she said. "He did not want the police talking to his client. So therefore we have not had a conversation with him yet." 11 officers were in Downtown business district during fight Cincinnati police had 11 officers in the Central Business District at the time of the fight between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., Theetge said. They assign the number of officers based on historically what has been needed at that time. She said normally things quiet down after 2 a.m. for that particular weekend, which included the Cincinnati Music Festival at Paycor Stadium, she said. "So this is a weekend that we've had for many years, music festival, Reds games, whatever's going on," Theetge said. "This is not new territory for us as far as policing. We work with a schedule that we think is best for the events that are occurring." Police will be more visible downtown The mayor and police chief outlined steps they will take immediately to address concerns over rising crime. People will see more police on downtown streets, Pureval said. "They're going to see police officers on foot," Pureval said. "They're going to see police officers on bike patrols. They're going to see police officers in squad cars. They're going to see police officers on Segways and on Segways that have three wheels. We are prioritizing visibility in our urban core in order to not just maintain safety, but to make sure people feel safe when they're going out." Pureval and Theetge announced a new bike patrol that will patrol the area around Fountain Square. He didn't say how many officers would be part of that bike patrol. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Pureval spoke on Wednesday, with the governor agreeing to send Ohio Highway Patrol troopers to help. Troopers will work traffic details on the highways to free up Cincinnati police to patrol and investigate in the urban core, Pureval said. This will last on a week-by-week basis until it's deemed no longer necessary, Pureval said. Theetge said the Hamilton County Police Chiefs Association will form a committee of law enforcement and judges to look at ways to reform the justice system and "work for a safer Cincinnati." She didn't reveal any more specifics about the new committee. Mayor, council member critical of how city is being portrayed Pureval and others took aim at those who they see as sensationalizing the event. "The racial dynamics of this fight are unavoidable, and some have cynically used the opportunity to divide us along racial lines," Pureval said. "That is a choice we must reject." Councilman Scotty Johnson, who chairs City Council's public safety committee, slammed the media for fixating on the fight and the divisiveness. "When you continuously run a loop where you have national leaders that are speaking irresponsible, showing Black and White people trying to knock each other's heads off," Johnson said, "what role do you play, media, in continually showing that level of violence?" This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Mayor, city officials respond to fallout from Cincinnati street fight
