Latest news with #AlwaysStriveandProsper
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rihanna Returns to A$AP Rocky Trial for Heated Day of Testimony
Rihanna returned to A$AP Rocky's firearm assault trial in Los Angeles on Thursday, her second day sitting in the front row for A$AP Relli's testimony that Rocky fired two 9mm bullets at him during a curbside confrontation in 2021. The superstar singer and businesswoman, who shares two young sons with Rocky, was again escorted through a secure entrance, separate from her longtime partner, who entered through a public door. She sat silently between Rocky's mom, Renee Black, and his sister, Erika B., as fireworks erupted when defense lawyer Joe Tacopina grilled Relli over his Instagram posts allegedly promoting a flashy lifestyle. More from Rolling Stone Russell Brand: BBC Acknowledges 'Power Dynamic' That Hindered Employee Complaints 'Coraline' Musical Scrapped Amid Neil Gaiman Sexual Assault Allegations Rihanna Supports A$AP Rocky at Trial, Alleged Victim Describes 'Shooting' 'I don't see how you're basing me as a person on my Instagram,' Relli, born Terell Ephron, complained, getting visibly frustrated. Judge Mark S. Arnold called for a 10-minute recess so someone could explain the line of questioning to him. As people were filing out, Ephron looked over at the defense table and appeared to address Rocky directly. 'You did it,' Ephron muttered in the direction of Rocky, born Rakim Mayers. Judge Arnold commanded him to stop speaking. 'No, no, no, do not address anybody,' the judge said sternly. 'He's staring at me,' Ephron protested. At this point, Rihanna stood up and exited the courtroom through a non-public door behind the bench. When Ephron and his civil lawyer, Camille Vasquez, moved toward another door leading to the same area, court staff yelled across the room to stop them, clearly concerned the parties might cross paths. A short time later, the trial broke from lunch. Clad in a tailored white shirt and long black tie, Rihanna followed the morning session intently. Before jurors were called in, Tacopina argued to admit evidence he planned to use for his cross-examination. Judge Arnold ruled Ephron's bank statements would be fair game while only his social media posts from after the Nov. 6, 2021 incident, not before, would be allowed. The judge also said Tacopina could question Ephron about a letter his civil attorneys sent Mayers after the shooting that sought a $30 million settlement ahead of a planned lawsuit. 'To settle all present and future civil claims we are authorized to extend an offer of $30 million dollars,' the letter shown on a courtroom screen read. 'We will not entertain any offer in the six figures and are committed to vigorously pursuing all claims in the event litigation becomes necessary.' Ephron started testifying in the criminal case on Tuesday. He told jurors he met Mayers in high school and was a founder of their A$AP Mob collective, a group of aspiring hip-hop creators and entrepreneurs. (The acronym stands for Always Strive and Prosper.) Ephron described a fraying in his relationship with Mayers as their levels of success diverged and said he was shocked and furious when Mayers brandished a firearm during their face-to-face meeting outside the W Hotel in Hollywood the night of the incident. On Wednesday, Ephron described the alleged shooting. He claimed he was walking behind Mayers, pursuing him around a corner after first seeing the gun, because he figured he would never see Mayers again and wanted to voice some grievances. 'I see Rocky turn around. When he turns around, he's like, it kind of looked like a movie. He kind of, like, pointed down and shot the first shot. When he shot the first shot, I felt my hand [get] hot,' Ephron said, claiming a bullet grazed him just below his left knuckles. He said at that point, he reached for Illijah Ulanger – who goes A$AP Illz and who had arrived at the meeting point with Mayers – to use him as a shield. 'I'm trying to not get hit at this point,' Ephron said. Mayers, 36, has pleaded not guilty. He claims he was carrying a starter pistol as a prop gun for protection. He admits he fired two 'warning shots,' claiming it was to break up a scuffle between Ephron and Ulanger. Mayers is adamant he never fired any live bullets. If convicted as charged, Mayers is facing up to 24 years in prison, prosecutors have said. Surveillance video at the center of the trial was first shown in court in November 2023. It's a series of clips from multiple commercial and residential cameras depicting Mayers holding some type of firearm. The blurry, black and white video of the alleged shooting has no visible muzzle flash and had no sound when it was recorded near the corner of Selma Ave. and Vista Del Mar Ave. in Hollywood. When the compilation was played again during opening statements, footage of the alleged shooting was synchronized with the sound of two loud cracking noises captured as the audio to a different video from around the corner. Deputy District Attorney Paul Przelomiec told jurors during opening statements that they were able to marry the sound from one video to the other because a security floodlight triggered during the incident and was visible in both. In his opening statement last week, Tacopina said the evidence will show multiple people in Mayers' inner circle knew he carried a 'fake gun' for safety, to 'scare off potential attackers' after he was the victim of prior violence and a stalker. Tacopina said the specific gun in Rocky's hands that night was a prop that came from the set of a music video he filmed in July 2021 with Rihanna. 'This case is about one man's jealousy, lies and greed,' Tacopina said, calling Ephron the 'source of all the evidence' in the case. 'Ladies and gentleman, this case is all about money. The evidence will show you it's nothing more than a money grab,' Tacopina said. 'The evidence will make clear Relli is trying to leverage a fabricated story to extract money from Rocky.' On the witness stand Wednesday, Ephron said he fled the alleged shooting and walked back to the Lowes Hollywood Hotel, where he was staying with his girlfriend. He said they returned to the scene together and found two 9mm shell casings that he later handed over to police. 'It wasn't hard for me to find the bullets, because I knew exactly where I got shot at,' he told the jury. He said he walked into the Hollywood police station the next day and handed them over. Last week, Tacopina told jurors that Ephron's story about finding the casings couldn't be trusted. He said seven police officers responded to the scene of the alleged shooting and searched the same area with flashlights. They didn't find any casings. During questioning on Wednesday, Przelomiec walked Ephron through a series of text messages that he exchanged with Mayers in the minutes and hours after the shooting. In one text sent at 11:58 p.m., Ephron shared a photo of one of the shell casings he allegedly found at the scene. 'U try killing me,' he texted Mayers. He received no answer and followed up with another message saying Mayers 'should have' finished the job. 'Rell wtf iz u talking about?' Mayers responded by text. 'Why u tellin ppl I shot at you?' Ephron said the response upset him. 'I received it like he was not owning up to the fact,' he told jurors. Ephron said he then sent a photo of his alleged injury and accused Mayers of setting him up. 'I tried to what? N—- I know you hate me. I hate you too,' Mayers texted back. 'Stop making shit up Rell.' At that point, Ephron said he texted Mayers that he had evidence. He had taken photos of the surveillance cameras on the buildings around where the incident took place. He said Mayers then texted him again, calling him an 'opp,' meaning an opponent. 'U don't love me cuz we don't do business so it iz what it iz,' Mayers wrote in a follow-up text. 'Now u trynna extort [me], talkin bout i shot at u n shot u 4 times and all type of nonsense u a phony and u don't have the best intentions, stop texting me,' another text continued, 'stop calling my manager and call police if I 'shot' @ u u weirdo.' Przelomiec also asked Ephron how he felt in the direct aftermath of the incident. 'I felt betrayed. I felt hurt. I felt like, I was texting him, I wanted to see where he was at with the situation,' Ephron told the jury. 'I felt like he was just denying it, just acting like the shit didn't happen. So it was hard for me to like even trust him or anybody around me at that point.' Ephron testified that he's faced serious 'consequences' for reporting the incident to police. He said his artist management company, Shut Eye Entertainment, lost all of its clients. He no longer has any social media due to the backlash, he said. 'It's been a living hell, you know what I'm saying? Like, death threats, people labeling me a snitch for saying something that happened,' he testified. 'My artists turned on me, my producers, they all turned on me because of the decision I made. They felt like, okay, I can't back them up no more, I can't support them with what I'm doing, going to police. They didn't want nothing to do with me no more.' Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
The Independent
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
A$AP Rocky's friend-turned-accuser to testify at LA shooting trial
A$ AP Rocky 's accuser, former friend and the key witness at his trial is set to take the stand Tuesday afternoon. Rocky, the rapper and partner of Rihanna, has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm for allegedly firing at the friend who goes by A$AP Relli. Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, met Relli, born Terell Ephron, in high school in New York when both were part of a crew of creators who called themselves A$AP — which stands for Always Strive and Prosper. They remained close for years, as Rocky's star rose. But their relationship soured, coming to a head on Nov. 6, 2021, when the two aired their grievances in a confrontation on the streets of Hollywood. Prosecutors say Rocky pulled out a handgun and fired two shots at Relli, who says the bullet grazed his knuckles. The defense argues Relli was the aggressor, and Rocky fired a starter pistol to break up a fight between him and another member of their crew. They said Rocky carried the pistol, which only shoots blanks, for security. Before the jury was brought in, the defense revealed that they do not have the pistol. 'Does the prop gun exist?' Judge Matthew Arnold asked. 'The prop gun did exist,' Rocky's lawyer Joe Tacopina said. 'It does not now. We don't have it.' Rocky's lawyers said Relli, who has also filed a civil lawsuit, is driven by 'jealousy, lies and greed" and fabricated large parts of the story to get money. Earlier Tuesday, the defense cross-examined a police officer who responded to reports of a shooting about the absence of evidence at the scene. 'There was no sign of a shooting?" Tacopina asked. 'No,' said Sgt. Thomas Zizzo. 'No blood?' 'No.' 'No bullet holes?' 'No.' No shell casings? 'No.' 'No physical evidence that a shooting happened at all?' 'No.' Days after the shooting, Relli himself brought two shell casings to police that he said he had found at the scene after the police had searched. Video from Zizzo's body camera played in court, showing seven officers who searched the scene and found nothing. In earlier testimony Friday, Zizzo said that while police searched thoroughly, 'we may have missed something.' The officer, who served in the Hollywood area, is the son of Erika Jayne, former star of 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and ex-wife of Tom Girardi, a disgraced and disbarred star lawyer who is awaiting sentencing at his own downtown LA trial. Rocky sat in the courtroom next to his lawyers and watched stoically, wearing a tan sport coat with black slacks. His mother and sister sat in his section, as they have throughout the trial. Rihanna, his longtime partner and the mother of their two toddler sons, was not in court. Rocky's lawyers said an appearance is unlikely but possible.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A$AP Rocky's friend-turned-accuser to testify at LA shooting trial
A$AP Rocky's accuser, former friend and the key witness at his trial is set to take the stand Tuesday afternoon. Rocky, the rapper and partner of Rihanna, has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm for allegedly firing at the friend who goes by A$AP Relli. Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, met Relli, born Terell Ephron, in high school in New York when both were part of a crew of creators who called themselves A$AP — which stands for Always Strive and Prosper. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. They remained close for years, as Rocky's star rose. But their relationship soured, coming to a head on Nov. 6, 2021, when the two aired their grievances in a confrontation on the streets of Hollywood. Prosecutors say Rocky pulled out a handgun and fired two shots at Relli, who says the bullet grazed his knuckles. The defense argues Relli was the aggressor, and Rocky fired a starter pistol to break up a fight between him and another member of their crew. They said Rocky carried the pistol, which only shoots blanks, for security. Before the jury was brought in, the defense revealed that they do not have the pistol. 'Does the prop gun exist?' Judge Matthew Arnold asked. 'The prop gun did exist,' Rocky's lawyer Joe Tacopina said. 'It does not now. We don't have it.' Rocky's lawyers said Relli, who has also filed a civil lawsuit, is driven by 'jealousy, lies and greed" and fabricated large parts of the story to get money. Earlier Tuesday, the defense cross-examined a police officer who responded to reports of a shooting about the absence of evidence at the scene. 'There was no sign of a shooting?" Tacopina asked. 'No,' said Sgt. Thomas Zizzo. 'No blood?' 'No.' 'No bullet holes?' 'No.' No shell casings? 'No.' 'No physical evidence that a shooting happened at all?' 'No.' Days after the shooting, Relli himself brought two shell casings to police that he said he had found at the scene after the police had searched. Video from Zizzo's body camera played in court, showing seven officers who searched the scene and found nothing. In earlier testimony Friday, Zizzo said that while police searched thoroughly, 'we may have missed something.' The officer, who served in the Hollywood area, is the son of Erika Jayne, former star of 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and ex-wife of Tom Girardi, a disgraced and disbarred star lawyer who is awaiting sentencing at his own downtown LA trial. Rocky sat in the courtroom next to his lawyers and watched stoically, wearing a tan sport coat with black slacks. His mother and sister sat in his section, as they have throughout the trial. Rihanna, his longtime partner and the mother of their two toddler sons, was not in court. Rocky's lawyers said an appearance is unlikely but possible.
Associated Press
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
A$AP Rocky's friend-turned-accuser to testify at LA shooting trial
A$AP Rocky's accuser, former friend and the key witness at his trial is set to take the stand Tuesday afternoon. Rocky, the rapper and partner of Rihanna, has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm for allegedly firing at the friend who goes by A$AP Relli. Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, met Relli, born Terell Ephron, in high school in New York when both were part of a crew of creators who called themselves A$AP — which stands for Always Strive and Prosper. They remained close for years, as Rocky's star rose. But their relationship soured, coming to a head on Nov. 6, 2021, when the two aired their grievances in a confrontation on the streets of Hollywood. Prosecutors say Rocky pulled out a handgun and fired two shots at Relli, who says the bullet grazed his knuckles. The defense argues Relli was the aggressor, and Rocky fired a starter pistol to break up a fight between him and another member of their crew. They said Rocky carried the pistol, which only shoots blanks, for security. Before the jury was brought in, the defense revealed that they do not have the pistol. 'Does the prop gun exist?' Judge Matthew Arnold asked. 'The prop gun did exist,' Rocky's lawyer Joe Tacopina said. 'It does not now. We don't have it.' Rocky's lawyers said Relli, who has also filed a civil lawsuit, is driven by 'jealousy, lies and greed' and fabricated large parts of the story to get money. Earlier Tuesday, the defense cross-examined a police officer who responded to reports of a shooting about the absence of evidence at the scene. 'There was no sign of a shooting?' Tacopina asked. 'No,' said Sgt. Thomas Zizzo. 'No blood?' 'No.' 'No bullet holes?' 'No.' No shell casings? 'No.' 'No physical evidence that a shooting happened at all?' 'No.' Days after the shooting, Relli himself brought two shell casings to police that he said he had found at the scene after the police had searched. Video from Zizzo's body camera played in court, showing seven officers who searched the scene and found nothing. In earlier testimony Friday, Zizzo said that while police searched thoroughly, 'we may have missed something.' The officer, who served in the Hollywood area, is the son of Erika Jayne, former star of 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' and ex-wife of Tom Girardi, a disgraced and disbarred star lawyer who is awaiting sentencing at his own downtown LA trial. Rocky sat in the courtroom next to his lawyers and watched stoically, wearing a tan sport coat with black slacks. His mother and sister sat in his section, as they have throughout the trial.
