ENTERTAINMENT NEWS – Rapper A$AP Rocky found not guilty in trial

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

A jury acquitted A$AP Rocky on Tuesday. The rapper had been charged with two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm in 2021 after an incident in which his former friend claimed he shot at him in Hollywood. The case had loomed over A$AP Rocky for years, threatening to upend his career and personal life. Rocky had been out on bail since his 2022 arrest, but if convicted, he would have faced immediate incarceration. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and rejected a plea deal that included minimal jail time and would have spared him from testifying.

When the verdict was announced, Rocky appeared nervous but then jumped into the arms of his wife, Rihanna, following his acquittal. As he left the courtroom, he told the jury, “Thank y’all for saving my life.” The jury deliberated for three hours before delivering the verdict. Had he been convicted, Rocky would have faced up to 24 years in prison and immediate custody.