Rihanna made her first appearance at the trial of her longtime partner, A$AP Rocky, right on the day of the most crucial testimony. The key moment? A former friend, A$AP Relli (real name Terell Ephron), described the moment he claims Rocky fired a gun at him.
Rihanna, who shares two young sons with Rocky, sat quietly in the courtroom, out of sight of the cameras. She was seated between Rocky’s mother and sister, and security made sure she was brought in discreetly to avoid a crowd when she arrived Wednesday morning.
Rocky, whose full name is Rakim Athelston Mayers, is facing two felony charges after allegedly firing a gun at Relli during a confrontation on a Hollywood street in 2021. If convicted, he could face up to 24 years in prison.
During Wednesday’s testimony, Relli recalled the moment he says Rocky pulled out a gun. According to Relli, after an initial scuffle, he shouted at Rocky, who was walking away, when Rocky suddenly turned, pulled a gun from his waistband, and pointed it in the air. “He turned around and then it was like BOOM!” Relli told the jury. “It was like a movie… he kind of pointed down and shot the first shot.”
Relli said he ducked behind a mutual friend after the first shot and didn’t see the second shot, but testified that Rocky ran away shortly after.
Before the trial began, prosecutors asked potential jurors if Rihanna’s presence in the courtroom would affect their ability to remain impartial. Most of the jurors had heard of Rihanna — far more than they knew about Rocky — and some even considered themselves fans, but they all said it wouldn’t influence their verdict.
It’s unclear whether the jurors could even see Rihanna, but she was dressed in a long black coat-like dress with buttons down the front. She also had glasses on her head, which she put on during the prosecution’s questioning.
Rihanna and Rocky, both 36, are parents to two boys: RZA Athelston Mayers, who’s 2, and Riot Rose Mayers, who’s 1. Rihanna revealed she was pregnant with Riot during her Super Bowl halftime performance in 2023, where her baby bump was clearly visible.
The couple, who are also both fashion moguls, first bonded when Rocky contributed a verse to her 2012 song “Cockiness (Love It),” and they performed it together at the MTV Video Music Awards. They’ve been a couple since 2020.
