Rihanna breaks silence after boyfriend A$AP Rocky found not guilty in felony shooting trial
Rihanna has spoken out after boyfriend A$AP Rocky received a not guilty verdict in his felony shooting trial.
A$AP Rocky, real name Rakim Mayers, potentially faced a 10 to 24 year jail sentence if found guilty of two felony charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm against his former friend A$AP Relli, real name Terell Ephron, in connection with a shooting which took place in November 2021.
Relli accused the rapper of shooting him during an argument, with the bullet grazing his knuckle, however, Rocky denied the claims and said the gun was a prop, while also alleging that his former mate was after money, the BBC reports.
Rocky declined to accept a plea bargain which would've seen him receive a six-month jail sentence and probation in return for pleading guilty to one of the charges.
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Fortunately for the American rapper, he was found not guilty on all charges and left the Los Angeles court a free man.
According to a report from MailOnline, the 'Disturbia' singer was in attendance for the verdict and appeared overcome with emotion at the news.
She could be seen visibly sobbing as she and the singer embraced in the court gallery, as Rocky told the jurors (via AP): "Thank y’all for saving my life."
The couple were then greeted by a flurry of fans and reporters outside the court, where Rocky briefly addressed the crowd before leaving.
"This whole experience has been crazy for the past 4 years," he said. "I’m thankful and it’s blessed to be here right now to be a free man talking to y’all."
Rihanna has now broken her silence publicly, and celebrated the news by sharing a brief statement via her Instagram Stories.
"The glory belongs to God and to God alone," the 36-year-old wrote, adding: "Thankful, humbled by His mercy."
She signed the statement off with a praying hands emoji to signify her gratitude.
Rocky and Rihanna have been in a relationship since 2020 and share two sons, 2-year-old RZA Athelston and 1-year-old Riot Rose, with the singer even bringing the children to court during the closing arguments of the trial.
Her presence at her partner's trial received press attention throughout the trial, with Rocky's defence lawyer Joe Tacopina stating that he had wanted to 'wanted to shield [Rihanna] from' court proceedings but wild horses couldn't keep her away'.
Speaking about the trial after the verdict, Tacopina added (via Metro): "They [the jury] saw through this mirage of a case. He turned down a plea for almost no jail time because he was innocent.
"There was a moment when before we heard the words from the clerk, he didn’t know if he was going to be spending the next two decades in jail or going home."
Topics: Celebrity, Rihanna, Celebrity News
Brenna Cooper