Rocky's Lawyer Battles Accuser, Rihanna Watches
The trial of A$AP Rocky took a dramatic turn Friday as his defense attorney, Joe Tacopina, aggressively challenged the testimony of the alleged victim, A$AP Relli. Relli, a former friend of Rocky’s, is claiming he was shot at by the rapper in 2021. The cross-examination, witnessed by Rihanna, Rocky’s partner and the mother of his two children, left Relli visibly frustrated and angry. Rihanna, who attended the trial discreetly for two previous days before joining publicly on Friday, observed the proceedings from the audience. She briefly spoke to reporters before leaving, stating she was “good” and expressing gratitude.

A key point of contention centered on Relli’s delayed medical attention. He testified earlier that he sustained a hand injury after Rocky fired a gun at him on a Hollywood street, showing the jury photos of scrapes on his knuckles. However, he did not seek medical treatment until two days later, in New York. Tacopina questioned this significant delay, prompting Relli to explain that he lacked trust in Los Angeles and its authorities. The defense lawyer further suggested that Relli’s pursuit of medical attention was influenced by his lawyer in a separate civil case against Rocky, where he’s seeking financial compensation. Relli initially denied this, but later conceded under pressure. Tacopina aggressively pressed Relli, implying that his primary goal was financial gain rather than seeking justice for the alleged assault. He highlighted the short duration of Relli’s hospital visit, questioning the legitimacy of his injury claim. The prosecution had previously stated that the severity of Relli’s injury was irrelevant to the charges of two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, which carry a potential 24-year prison sentence.

The defense also presented audio recordings of phone calls allegedly made by Relli, in which he appeared to discuss dropping the criminal case in exchange for a large sum of money. Relli vehemently denied the authenticity of these recordings, claiming they were fabricated. His frustration intensified during the examination, with him frequently questioning the relevance of questions and even declaring some calls fake.

The defense’s strategy hinges on the revelation, made just before the trial, that the firearm used was allegedly a starter pistol containing only blanks. They argue Relli was aware of this fact. However, Relli’s testimony on this point was inconsistent, shifting from claiming he wasn’t aware of Rocky’s gun ownership to saying he didn’t know whether Rocky possessed a prop gun or not. Tacopina pressed this point hard, resulting in a heated exchange. Following the jury’s dismissal for lunch, a heated argument erupted between Tacopina and Deputy District Attorney John Lewin, with accusations flying and the judge ultimately intervening due to the increasingly personal nature of their disagreement. The conflict highlighted the high stakes and tensions surrounding this high-profile case, particularly in light of Rocky’s upcoming Grammy nomination, adding further pressure to the proceedings. Relli’s testimony will continue Monday.

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