Entertainment

ASAP Rocky’s lawyer reads texts from ASAP Relli aloud in court

As the assault trial unfolds, explosive messages shed light on the tensions between the rapper and his accuser.

Pop Culture & Art January 25, 2025

ASAP Rocky's assault trial is officially in full swing following jury selection, as opening statements were made on January 24, 2025.

The proceedings began with LA County Deputy District Attorney Paul Przelomiec outlining the prosecution's case, followed by defense attorney Joe Tacopina, who presented his arguments to the jury.

In a particularly revealing moment, Tacopina read aloud a series of text messages he claims were sent by Terrell Ephron, a.k.a. ASAP Relli, the individual Rocky is accused of shooting.

“Relli told his friend that Rocky was a ‘piece of sh*t,’ and that ‘I’m gonna beat this n***a up,’” Tacopina recounted. He added, “That’s funny. They showed you a lot of text messages...I didn’t see that one,” highlighting the selective nature of the evidence presented by the prosecution.

Amid the court drama, reports emerged regarding concerns from Rocky’s team about the jury pool's racial makeup, noting that out of 106 potential jurors, only five were Black.

Tacopina expressed his dissatisfaction, saying, “We’re in downtown Los Angeles. Not a small town in Montana. We’re troubled by that to say the least.” However, Judge Mark Arnold dismissed their concerns, stating, “There’s no authority that requires any particular percentage of any ethnicity on a jury.”

In a significant development, reports surfaced that Rocky declined a plea deal from prosecutors that would have resulted in a guilty plea to one count of assault, along with a 180-day jail sentence, three years probation, and a seven-year suspended prison sentence.

According to TMZ, his refusal was driven by the potential damage to his career, with a source detailing, “This would effectively end his career because he would lose all of his endorsement contracts, including Gucci, Puma, the Met Gala, and, most importantly, he would not be able to tour and his career would be over. They would have him under their thumb for over 8 years.”

As the trial unfolds, all eyes remain on both Rocky and the evidence being presented in court.