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New York Times
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
A Bridal Collection From Rihanna Teases Fans Yet Again
On Tuesday, Rihanna announced a new bridal collection from her lingerie company, Savage x Fenty, with a retro-style video on Instagram. Wearing a lacy pink lingerie set paired with matching thigh-high stockings and a mini veil, all from the collection, she posed beside a massive wedding cake on top of a table before kicking the cake to the ground. The new collection drew a great deal of attention, at least some of which was because it seemed to allude to a pressing matter for her fervent fan base: Is Rihanna getting married? The collection arrived the same day that ASAP Rocky, her longtime partner, appeared in a Vogue cover story in which he gushed about her. Rumors of an official engagement, or of even a pending wedding, have frequently followed the couple. And for many fans, the visuals of the singer in a veil felt like foreshadowing, most likely egged on by her captioning a photo from the collection with 'all you gotta do is say yes.' Representatives for Rihanna and Savage x Fenty did not respond when asked directly if the singer was engaged, but fans took to the comments section of her posts to speculate. 'Crying imagining Rihanna's wedding dress,' Stephanie Tinsley, a 27-year-old filmmaker from Chicago, commented under the singer's post. 'It would be the most fashionable wedding of the decade,' Ms. Tinsley said of the couple, who are known for taking fashion risks. The new bridal collection, which has been in development since 2024, consists of 43 styles, including lacy gloves, veils and bustier tops, as well as robes and the typical lingerie items in white, baby blue and pink. 'We wanted to reimagine bridal lingerie through a modern lens — something that felt less about tradition and more about self-expression,' Vanessa Wallace, the chief marketing officer of Savage x Fenty, said in an email. 'It's bold, playful and a little unruly, just like love should be.' Barbara Letizia, a bridal stylist in New York, said clients had responded favorably to collections like the one from Savage x Fenty. 'A lot of them want to feel like a bride for the whole wedding weekend,' Ms. Letizia said. 'For all the events — the rehearsal dinner, getting ready the morning of, the brunch the day after. They want to have those special moments.' The move by Rihanna to pose in bridal lingerie is far from surprising. She has a reputation for using social media to tease her fans, and she rarely addresses her private life directly. 'She and Rocky have been dropping hints of marriage for a while,' Ms. Tinsley said, 'and considering everything they just went through together during their trial, it would be lovely to see them make their commitment official and celebrate their love.' The couple was recently in the news when ASAP Rocky was found not guilty of shooting a former collaborator. They share two children, and while they have never announced an official engagement, they have referenced the idea in various ways. In ASAP Rocky's 2022 music video for 'D.M.B.,' the rapper wore a grill that read 'Marry me?' Rihanna responded with her own set that read 'I do.' And in May 2023, after a Met Gala appearance in which she wore a white Valentino gown and he donned a Gucci tuxedo jacket and a kilt layered over jeans, Rihanna captioned an Instagram post of the couple making their entrance at the event: 'shout outz 2 the bridal party …. here come de bride.' The pair first caught the attention of the public when the rapper joined Rihanna for a performance of her single 'Cockiness (Love It)' at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2012. After years of tension and speculation, the longtime friends began dating in late 2019, Rihanna told Interview magazine, and their relationship deepened during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. 'He became my family in that time,' Rihanna said in a Vogue story in April 2022. 'People don't get out of the friend zone very easily with me.' He had called her 'the love of my life' in an interview with GQ in 2021. Their first child, RZA, was born in May 2022. In August 2023, a second son, Riot Rose, was born. Regardless of the official status of their relationship, ASAP Rocky, a co-chair for this year's Met Gala, 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,' does not waste many opportunities to talk about their deep connection. 'Rihanna and myself, we were the first Black people to be the face of Dior,' he said in a video interview for his recent Vogue cover. 'I'm just blessed to be in this environment. It's truly a blessing and I don't ever take that for granted.' Time will tell if the Savage x Fenty bridal collection is yet another tease, or a sign that an actual wedding is on the horizon.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A$AP Rocky Prop Gun Defense In A$AP Relli Shooting Backed By A$AP Lou, A$AP Twelvyy
Multiple associates of A$AP Rocky have backed his claim that the weapon used in the alleged shooting of A$AP Relli was a prop gun intended to ward off attackers. This week, A$AP Lou, a longtime member of A$AP Mob, testified that Rocky acquired the alleged prop gun from the set of the music video shoot for 'D.M.B.,' which was presumably filmed prior to the shooting. According to A$AP Lou, he recalls the alleged prop gun being a replica of a Glock 26, modified with a clear extended magazine in an attempt to make the weapon appear more intimidating and realistic. At some point following the alleged incident involving Relli, Rocky returned the alleged prop gun to Lou, who then delivered the weapon back to the director of the 'D.M.B.' visual via private jet. On Friday (Feb. 7), A$AP Twelvyy, another A$AP Mob member, confirmed that he witnessed Rocky in possession of the alleged prop gun, which Twelvyy compared to a 'starter pistol' on multiple occasions, as a form of self defense. Twelvyy claims to have first seen the alleged prop gun on the set of the 'D.M.B.' music video, which was filmed in the Bronx, N.Y. However, Twelvyy notes that the weapon wasn't on his person at that time. A$AP Rocky is accused of shooting A$AP Relli, a former A$AP Mob member, during a confrontation in Los Angeles' Hollywood section in November 2021. Relli, born Terell Ephron, has also filed a civil suit against the rapper, which Rocky's defense team has cited as the driving motivation behind their client's former friend's claims. Initially arrested for the shooting in April 2022, Rocky, who is currently out on bail, has been charged with two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. If convicted, Rocky faces up to 24 years in prison. More from Andre 3000, Usher, Dapper Dan, And More Named As 2025 Met Gala Host Committee Members 50 Cent Slams A$AP Relli In Defense Of A$AP Rocky After Testimony Rihanna To Attend A$AP Rocky's Criminal Trial Weeks After Relationship Status Confuses Judge
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A$AP Rocky's Star Defense Witness Says Alleged Victim Taunted, ‘Shoot That Fake-Ass Gun'
A$AP Rocky kicked off the long-awaited defense in his gun assault trial Friday with a star witness who says the alleged victim in the case, fellow A$AP Mob member A$AP Relli, was the repeated aggressor during the November 2021 shooting at the center of the case. Harlem rapper A$AP Twelvyy, born Jamel Phillips, also testified under oath that both he and Relli, born Terell Ephron, were fully aware that the gun Rocky fired during the street-level scuffle just a block south of Hollywood Boulevard was a starter pistol that didn't fire live ammunition. More from Rolling Stone Shohei Ohtani's Ex-Interpreter Sentenced to Five Years in Prison Following Gambling Scandal Violent Online Group CVLT Coerced Kids to Self-Harm, DOJ Says Hear Rihanna Voice Smurfette, Cover Belinda Carlisle in New 'Smurfs' Trailer '[Relli] told him to shoot that fake-ass gun,' Phillips testified, giving his version of what happened after the parties met outside the W Hotel, had an initial argument and Rocky was caught on surveillance video with a black gun in his hand. During his own trial testimony before prosecutors officially rested their case Friday morning, Ephron claimed he never accused Rocky of having a fake gun. Ephron repeatedly said he believed the gun was real and that he felt a hot sensation on his hand as soon as the first shot rang out. He claims he was grazed by a real bullet and has a photograph taken that night showing a linear injury under the knuckles of his left hand. Appearing on the ninth day of trial, Phillips said he went into the Nov. 6, 2021 incident with the understanding that Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, carried a starter pistol as a deterrent because he was the victim of prior crimes, including a stabbing in a New York club, home invasions and stalking. Phillips said he saw Mayers with a starter pistol on three prior occasions. The first time was during the video shoot for Mayers' song 'D.M.B.,' he testified. The video, which heavily features Rihanna, was shot in the Bronx in July 2021. He said the second time was in Harlem in September 2021, when he and Mayers met up to get some food, and the last time was in Los Angeles, just days before the incident, he told jurors. In testimony that could prove critical, Phillips gave a visceral account of the moment he, Mayers and another friend named Illijah Ulanger, also known as A$AP Illz, exited their chauffeured vehicle to meet up with Ephron the night of the alleged shooting. Phillips said he was in town to perform with Mayers at ComplexCon that week to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Mayers' debut mix tape Live. Love. ASAP, which featured Phillips and other members of their collective. According to Phillips, he spotted Ephron walking down the hill from Hollywood Blvd. and approaching them 'with a little extra momentum.' 'Relli just grabbed Rocky. As soon as he seen him, he just grabbed him,' Phillips testified. He said Ephron was shaking Mayers and trying to lift him off the ground by his hoodie. He said the lifting caused Mayers' pants to fall, leading Mayers to grab what he described as the 'prop gun' in his waistband. Under questioning by defense lawyer Joe Tacopina, Phillips said Mayers grabbed the gun with his left hand, which was notable because Mayers is right-handed. Phillips said both he and Ulanger got in the middle of the initial argument and that Mayers walked away first. He claimed Ephron followed them around the corner, taunting them. Calling Ephron's demeanor 'volatile,' he said Ephron berated them, calling Ulanger a 'crackhead' and commenting that Phillips lived in 'the projects.' He said the outburst left him feeling confused and threatened. According to Phillips, Ephron turned physical again when they got to the intersection of Selma Ave. and Vista Del Mar Ave. He said as Ulanger was trying to calm Ephron down, Ephron punched Ulanger two times. He said after the second hit, Mayers fired the first shot from the starter pistol, aiming it toward the ground. Phillips said he believes Mayers wanted 'to scare Relli off,' and that the rapper fired a second shot before Phillips urged him to leave the scene because the shots and car alarms were sure to attract attention. Also on Friday, Mayers' partner, Rihanna, made her fifth appearance at the trial, appearing in the hallway and giving Mayers a long hug before the couple walked back into the courtroom with their arms around each other for the rest of the afternoon session. In yet another dramatic moment, Tacopina walked Philips through the blurry surveillance video of the alleged shooting. This time, the two loud gunshot sounds taken from a different camera in the area and synchronized with the visual of the incident started a second later than they did in the video prosecutors used. The defense said it followed the same methodology prosecutors used to overlap the audio, and that their version was the more accurate one. The one-second delay could prove pivotal. In prosecutors' version, the first shot happens before the figure identified as Ephron appears to come in contact with Ulanger. In his testimony, Ephron said he grabbed Ulanger to use him as a 'human shield.' In the defense version shown Friday, the first shot comes after Ephron's figure collides with Ulanger. Phillips said the defense version aligned with his memory, meaning Mayers only fired his first 'warning shot' after Ephron allegedly punched Ulanger. Mayers, 36, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm. The first count involves the initial clash across the street from the W Hotel. The second count is for the alleged shooting. In his opening statement, Tacopina said the evidence would show Mayers carried the starter pistol as a 'prop gun' on the advice of his security. Another defense witness is expected to testify that he also knew Mayers carried a starter pistol as a deterrent. If convicted as charged, Mayers is facing a maximum possible sentence of 24 years. Prosecutors previously told the court they would recommend 10 to 12 years. During his five days in the witness box, Ephron told jurors he and Mayers agreed to meet that night amid a fraying in their relationship. He claimed Mayers walked up angrily, grabbed him by his collar, pulled out a black gun and threatened to kill him as they argued near the parking garage. Ephron said Mayers put the gun back into his waistband to avoid attracting attention and was walking away when Ephron allegedly noticed Phillips had a pocketknife. (Phillips denied Friday that he had a knife.) Ephron admitted he started to follow Mayers, Phillips and Ulanger but said it was only to get some grievances off his chest. Recounting his version of the incident, Ephron said he was talking to all three men when he accused Mayers of not doing enough for the friends who helped him early on in his career. 'I'm just verbally expressing my feelings. I just had a gun pulled on me,' Ephron testified. 'I'm feeling a lot of different things, but at the moment, I was just mad.' Police were called to the scene by a 911 caller who watched the incident from a apartment balcony. The four men were already gone when seven officers searched the area and found no shell casings or evidence of a shooting. Ephron says he returned later that night and immediately recovered two 9mm Luger spent cartridges. He personally collected the casings and held on to them for two days before handing them over to police. Police witnesses testified the casings had no fingerprints on them but were consistent with having been fired from an after-market slide known to be used with a subset of guns that includes the Glock 43. During a search of Mayers' house in April 2022, a Glock-brand 9mm magazine was found in his bedroom closet. Tacopina has said the magazine belonged to someone else, but either way, it was loaded with a different brand of bullets when it was recovered. In his opening, Tacopina said the case was 'all about a money grab.' He said Ephron wanted to extort his client and had filed a $30 million civil lawsuit. Ephron was adamant during his testimony that he was telling the truth. In a surprising moment on Monday, Ephron told the jury that while he initially testified that video showing him firing a semiautomatic weapon at a gun range just two weeks before the Nov. 6 shooting was definitely not filmed in Los Angeles, he did some 'homework' over the weekend and realized it was from the Los Angeles Gun Club. He said he'd forgotten he was in the area for a business meeting that week. The revelation could help bolster the defense claim that Ephron fabricated the evidence. Under questioning by deputy district attorney Paul Przelomiec, Ephron told jurors he didn't plant anything. He said that for two years after the alleged shooting, he consistently told police he believed Mayers had fired three or four times. He said it wasn't until a probable-cause hearing in November 2023 that he first heard audio from the incident depicting only two loud pops. 'If I planted, [I] would have brought exactly what I said,' he testified, meaning he would have planted three or four casings. He only found two, he testified. 'I never planted nothing,' he said on the witness stand. Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
USA Today
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky relationship timeline: How the couple's romance began
It was friends to lovers for A$AP Rocky and Rihanna. The music collaborators and fellow fashion icons have had a slow-burn relationship that has culminated in a growing young family — the couple now have two toddler sons, RZA and Riot Rose. But their relationship has no doubt become more complicated amid Rocky's Los Angeles trial for felony assault. The artist, born Rakim Mayers and raised in Harlem, New York, is charged with two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. He's accused of firing a gun twice in the direction of Terell Ephron, an ex-friend who was formerly known as A$AP Relli, after an argument in Hollywood, California, in November 2021. In January 2024, he pleaded not guilty to the weapons charges. He could serve up to 24 years in prison if convicted on all charges. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. "We're ready to go. It's been a long time," Rocky's defense lawyer, Joe Tacopina, said after a Jan. 15 hearing, according to The Associated Press. "It's been something that's waiting over Rocky's head and Rihanna and their family's heads for a while. We're anxious to get this thing underway and get this behind him." Here's a walk down of how the couple came to be. A$AP Rocky trial begins:What we know about the felony assault case When did Rihanna and A$AP Rocky meet? Rihanna and Rocky, both 36, first met during rehearsals for their joint performance of "Cockiness (Love It)" at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, according to the singer. The "D.M.B." rapper snuck in a backside grab on stage, which sparked early dating rumors. "My team was worried that I wanted to have his head on a mantle," she told Interview magazine in April. "But I was like, 'Ah, nah.' That's why everybody was like, 'Oh my god. She likes him.'" Rihanna discusses 'cautious' startto dating A$AP Rocky, fears that come with motherhood Rihanna and A$AP Rocky collaborations The couple have worked together a handful of times over the years, including on the remix for Rihanna's "Talk That Talk" track "Cockiness (Love It)." In 2013, the rapper opened for Rihanna on her Diamonds World Tour. In music videos, the singer has appeared in treatments for Rocky's "Fashion Killa" in 2013 and "D.M.B." in 2022. Rihanna, A$AP Rocky's dating history Before there was Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, both had whirlwind romances of both the official and rumored variety. The "Diamonds" singer infamously dated Chris Brown in the late 2000s, and has been romantically linked to Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, Saudi Arabian businessman Hassan Jameel and Drake. For the "Tailor Swif" rapper's part, he has been linked to rapper Iggy Azalea and model Chanel Iman. The rapper was also rumored to have had a brief romance with Kendall Jenner around 2016-17, but neither has confirmed the relationship. When did Rihanna and A$AP Rocky start dating? The Fenty Beauty mogul has said the couple had a "cautious" start. The duo remained close friends but didn't cross the line into dating until 2019, Rihanna told Interview. "We saw fashion the same. We saw creative the same. We ended up in the same circles a lot. And past that, when we grew up, we ended up supporting each other's brands and products and creative all the time," she said. "We've known each other for a long time. I've seen him in relationships. He's seen me in relationships. We've seen each other outside of relationships. We knew what we're capable of, and the trouble that we could bring to each other's lives," Rihanna continued, explaining why they waited to date. "We can make or break each other's hearts. And so, we started dating with a lot of caution." She added: "I just let whatever was supposed to happen, happen. It was just, 'This is a flower. It's either going to die or blossom. But I'm going to let it decide itself.'" By 2020, the couple went on a country-wide road trip together and were spotted in Barbados for Christmas (both share Bajan roots), sparking renewed dating rumors. Rocky confirmed the pair were official in a May 2021 interview with GQ, calling Rihanna "the love of my life." "She amounts to probably, like, a million of the other ones. I think when you know, you know," he told the outlet. "She's the one." When did Rihanna and A$AP Rocky become parents? The pair welcomed their first son, RZA Athelston Mayers, in 2022. The bundle of joy was named in honor of the Wu-Tang member and shares Rocky's middle name. Rihanna and Rocky welcomed their second son, Riot Rose Mayers, in 2023, evening out the R-family tree. The "Work" singer gushed about the rapper's parenting skills in 2023. "I loved him differently as a dad. This is major, major, like, it's a turn on," Rihanna told Access Hollywood. "It's just like, 'Wow! What a leader. What a great, patient, loving (dad). And my kids are obsessed with him. I'm just a background, like, I'm an extra. Yep, it happens. … It doesn't matter if it's girls or boys. They love their dad differently, and I love to see it." Rihanna gushes aboutA$AP Rocky's parenting: 'I loved him differently as a dad' Rihanna told Interview in April that even though she and Rocky never discussed starting a family, she "knew" they were ready. "We didn't even really talk about it. There was no denying it. It was the best thing that ever happened to us. It just happened." She added she's open to more children but is letting her faith take charge. "I don't know what God wants, but I would go for more than two," she said. "I would try for my girl. But of course if it's another boy, it's another boy." Contributing: Edward Segarra
