A$AP Rocky’s felony gun trial begins. How much jail time does he face? Will Rihanna appear in court? What we know.

The trial of A$AP Rocky (real name: Rakim Mayers) for allegedly firing a gun at a former friend in November 2021 is underway in Los Angeles, after he turned down a final prosecution plea offer of 180 days in jail.

The hip-hop singer, actor and designer is charged with two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, stemming from an alleged dispute with A$AP Relli (real name: Terell Ephron) outside a hotel in Hollywood, Calif. Mayers, who shares two children with the singer and designer Rihanna, pleaded not guilty twice.

On Jan. 21, Mayers declined the prosecution’s offer to plead guilty to one of the two counts and to receive a recommended seven-year suspended sentence, three years of probation and a six-month jail term, according to the Associated Press.

The trial then got underway, with jury selection and opening statements expected on Jan. 22 or later.

Here’s everything we know about the trial, from how much jail time Mayers faces to whether Rihanna is expected to support him in court.

What are the allegations against Mayers?

Ephron testified at the November 2023 preliminary hearing that he and Mayers became friends in high school in New York and were members of A$AP, which he described as “a conglomerate of young men that have many different talents.” As the career of the three-time Grammy nominee took off, their relationship fractured, Ephron claimed. Ephron was visiting L.A. and met face-to-face with Mayers to air his grievances.

Ephron claimed Mayers arrived outside the W Hotel with two other men, and while they exchanged words, Mayers pulled a gun from his waistband and shot at him, skinning one of his fingers raw. Ephron claimed he used one of Mayers’s friends as a shield as Mayers shot at him three or four more times.

They fled the scene, but Ephron said he returned an hour later and picked up two casings off the street. He said he sent Mayers a video of the cartridges, writing, “U try killing me.” Mayers replied telling him to “stop makin shit up” and to “call the police if i ‘shot’ @ u u weirdo.”

Ephron went to police two days later to report the alleged incident. Mayers was arrested in April 2022, after returning from a vacation in Barbados with Rihanna.

What is Mayers’s defense?

While we will know more during opening statements, Mayers’s attorney Joe Tacopina revealed in court on Jan. 21 that the defense plans to call witnesses to testify that a firearm seen on a security video was a “starter pistol” that can’t fire real ammunition, which Rocky carried as a prop for security reasons.

At the preliminary hearing, Tacopina, who has previously represented President Trump, suggested Ephron fabricated the story of the shooting in hopes of a payout. Ephron filed a civil case against Mayers in 2022, and Tacopina claimed Ephron’s lawyers asked Mayers’s civil attorney for a monetary settlement after the rapper was arrested.

Tacopina told the Associated Press on Jan. 15 that his client was “ready to go” to trial, adding, “It’s been a long time” coming. A November 2024 trial date was postponed so that Mayers could headline the Rolling Loud music festival in Thailand that month. “It's been something that’s waiting over Rocky's head and Rihanna and their family's heads for a while. We’re anxious to get this thing underway and get this behind him,” Tacopina said.

Tacopina said that he wasn’t yet sure if Mayers would testify. “He’s very articulate, very intelligent,” the attorney told Rolling Stone. “He’s a good human being, and that would come out if he testifies. But that’s a decision that has not been made yet. It depends how the case goes.”

How much time is Mayers facing?

If found guilty on both felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, Mayers faces up to 24 years in state prison.

How long is the trial expected to last?

Approximately three weeks or 15 days.

Will it be streamed?

Following jury selection, yes. Arnold said he will allow cameras in court for the duration of the trial, saying, “I believe that the public deserves to see what goes on in the courtroom.”

Will Rihanna attend the trial?

Maybe. During an October hearing, Arnold asked if “the mother of [Mayers’s] children” would be in attendance, adding, “She’s welcome to be here whenever she wants, I’d just like to know.” Tacopina said this had not yet been decided.

On Jan. 15, the judge and attorneys debated in court about whether to refer to Rihanna in court as “wife” or "significant other,” according to footage shared by a court reporter, Meghann Cuniff. Mayers and Rihanna are not married, but have been a couple since 2019.

While Tacopina said he didn’t know whether Rihanna would be in court, he told the AP that Mayers is “very protective of Rihanna and doesn’t want her anywhere near this proceeding. But that’s a family decision they’ll make.”

So far, Rihanna hasn't appeared at any of the hearings related to this case.

If he is found guilty, would this be the first prison time for Mayers?

No, the Harlem native was arrested at age 16 on attempted murder charges, he has said. He spent two weeks in Rikers Island in New York, but the charges ended up being reduced, given his age and the fact that it was a first-time offense, and he was released.

In 2019, Mayers was arrested for assault in Stockholm, Sweden, where he was performing, after a street dispute he and two members of his entourage were involved in with two other men. The rapper, who maintained that he was being followed and harassed by the alleged victims before the fight, spent a month in jail. The case drew national attention, and he was released before the verdict. He was ultimately found guilty but was not sentenced to additional jail time.

Does Mayers seem like he’s prepping for a jail sentence?

No. He has quite a few engagements coming up, from headlining the Rolling Loud music fest in California in March to co-chairing the 2025 Met Gala in May. He’s also up for his third Grammy Award on Feb. 2, for his Taylor Swift-inspired song “Tailor Swif.”

Mayers was scheduled to attend the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, in support of If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, which premieres there on Jan. 24, but that is no longer happening. He also has a role in Spike Lee’s upcoming film, Highest 2 Lowest, which stars Denzel Washington and is expected out in the summer.

Mayers is also expected to release his fourth studio album, Don't Be Dumb, at some point this year.