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It’s a big day for Rihanna and the father of her two children.
ASAP Rocky has been ruled not guilty on felony assault charges following a headline-making trial in Los Angeles.
Rocky had been accused of firing a semi-automatic handgun at his former friend ASAP Relli. If convicted, he faced up to 24 years behind bars.
The emotional rapper jumped over a railing to embrace Rihanna after the verdict was revealed.
ASAP Rocky Acquitted on All Charges
“Thank y’all for saving my life. Thank y’all for making the right decision,” Rocky said to the jury.
“The glory belongs to God and God alone! Thankful, humbled by His mercy!” Rihanna wrote on Instagram after the trial had concluded.
Rocky was initially criticized for fighting the charges rather than accepting a plea deal which would have required him to serve six months in jail.
Of course, he could afford the very best in legal representation (after all, Rihanna is a billionaire), and he swears he’s innocent.
So maybe it made sense for him to take a gamble that would have been insane for most people.
It wasn’t long before the risk paid off in terms of amusing viral moments.
Judge Compliments ASAP Rocky’s Mom
It was a strange trial from the start.
When Rocky first showed up in court last month with his mother and sister, the situation prompted his attorney, Joe Tacopina, to comment on Mama Rocky’s youthful appearance.
“You can’t tell, right, which one’s the mom?” Tacopina said, of ASAP’s mom, Renee Black (via Newsweek). Judge Mark Arnold enthusiastically agreed.
“You must have had him when you were about 7?” Judge Arnold asked Renee. She informed him that she welcomed the future hip hop icon when she was 26.
“You are very beautiful. That’s on the record,” Arnold replied.
Needless to say, it was a bit of a weird moment.
But was probably pretty low on ASAP’s list of concerns at that moment.
A Lot at Stake
At the time, Rocky’s trial was stuck at the jury selection stage.
Tacopina had expressed concerns about a lack of diversity among the potential choices, as of 106 people selected, only four potential jurors appeared to be Black.
“We’re in downtown Los Angeles. Not a small town in Montana. We’re troubled by that to say the least,” Tacopina said Wednesday, according to Newsweek.
Today, Rocky is no doubt feeling tremendous gratitude toward his attack dog attorney.
Our congratulations go out to the rapper and Rihanna.