Rihanna shared an emotional moment with her two children during the closing arguments of A$AP Rocky’s weapons assault trial in Los Angeles. The Diamonds singer, 36, has attended court five times in support of Rocky, with whom she shares sons RZA, 2, and Riot, 1.
She was seen at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on Thursday, briefly joining Rocky during a break. The rapper, 36, faces up to 24 years in prison for allegedly shooting his former friend A$AP Relli in 2021, as reported by Daily Mail.
During a courtroom break, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky stepped into the hallway, each holding one of their children. As the break ended, Rihanna was heard telling their toddlers, “wish daddy good luck.”
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Rocky then shared a heartfelt moment, kissing both Rihanna and their children before returning to the courtroom.
Rihanna briefly exited the courtroom through a back door before returning without her children.
Earlier in the day, she arrived at the courthouse in heavy rain, with security holding umbrellas over her and her kids. The Love On The Brain singer wore a black leather trench coat with a caped detail, paired with tan crocodile-embossed boots. Her children, dressed in dark navy suits, accompanied her to support A$AP Rocky.
A$AP Rocky, born Rakim Athelaston Mayers, was arrested in April 2022 upon returning to Los Angeles from Barbados with Rihanna. He now faces two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic weapon but has pleaded not guilty.
Before opening statements in January, Rocky rejected a plea deal that included six months in jail, a seven-year suspended sentence, and three years of probation.
The rapper was expected to take the stand in his trial but has chosen not to testify in his defense. He has maintained that he was carrying a prop gun for security on the night of the alleged incident.
A$AP Rocky’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, supported his client’s claim, stating that the gun involved was a starter pistol that only fired blanks.
Earlier this week, Rocky’s tour manager, Lou Levin, testified that he advised the rapper to carry the prop gun following a break-in at his home by a stalker and other security concerns.
“Security and I thought it would be a good idea, because of the prior violence,” Levin said. “It’s just a nonlethal form of self-defense.”
Levin testified that he obtained the prop gun from a video shoot in the summer of 2021, months before the incident. He returned it to the co-director, but after A$AP Rocky’s arrest, the gun was no longer available.
The defense stated they did not have the starter pistol, which authorities also failed to recover. Levin also confirmed that an ammunition magazine found at Rocky’s home belonged to him.
Prosecutors, however, called Levin’s story a lie, while Levin insisted it was the truth. The prosecution alleges that on November 6, 2021, Rocky pointed a gun at his former friend during a confrontation and shot at him, causing minor injuries.
A$AP Relli, whose real name is Terell Ephron, testified against A$AP Rocky, claiming the rapper pointed a gun at his stomach, threatened to kill him, and fired at least four shots.
Ephron said one shot hit his hand, and he reported the incident the following day. Ephron recovered two 9mm shell casings from the scene, but the weapon allegedly used by Rocky was never found.
Ephron, a former friend and collaborator of Mayers, said their relationship began in high school but soured as Mayers’ fame grew, especially when he started backing out of business deals.
At pre-trial hearings in November, A$AP Rocky’s attorneys sought to exclude surveillance footage of him holding a gun, arguing it should not be admissible. Prosecutors contend the video shows Rocky firing the weapon, a claim his lawyers deny.
Detective Frank Flores of the Los Angeles Police Department testified that the footage showed a gun in Rocky’s hand, but under cross-examination, he admitted the weapon was never recovered.
A$AP Rocky, a member of the A$AP Mob collective, which was formed in 2005, joined the group in 2007. After closing arguments on Thursday, the jury began deliberations in his trial.
Rihanna, who first appeared in the Los Angeles courtroom late last month, reportedly arrived in a blacked-out SUV and took secretive steps to avoid attention, entering through an underground parking lot and a hidden elevator.
An insider shared with DailyMail.com that Rihanna is “terrified” Rocky could face prison time.
The source expressed that the “important legal drama in her life” could “have real heartbreaking consequences.”
“A$AP goes to trial next month for the alleged shooting and if convicted he could be sentenced to prison.”
The insider added, “Rihanna and A$AP have been on a serious do-good / be-loved PR mission recently, which is completely opposite of how they like to live their lives…”
“She is terrified of him going to prison. She has two kids at home that she does not want to raise on her own.”
