Los Angeles—A jury has acquitted American rapper A$AP Rocky of two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm following a nearly month-long trial. The verdict, delivered on February 19, 2025, was met with loud cheers in the courtroom. An emotional Rocky embraced his lawyers before rushing to his partner, Rihanna.

The charges stemmed from an alleged 2021 incident in which Rocky was accused of firing a gun at former friend Terell Ephron, known as A$AP Relli. Despite declining a plea deal that included a 180-day jail term, Rocky chose not to testify, invoking his Fifth Amendment right.

“We said from day one, he was innocent,” his attorney Joe Tacopina told reporters. “He turned down a plea for almost no jail time because he was innocent.”