A$AP Rocky trial: A$AP Twelvyy testifies, Rocky declines to take the stand

A$AP Rocky's trial for allegedly shooting a former friend in 2021 is underway.

During Tuesday's court hearing, the 36-year-old rapper waived his right to testify in the highly publicized trial. Superior Judge Mark Arnold told Rocky: "It's totally your decision to either get on the stand or waive your right to testify."

"I want my right to not testify," Rocky replied firmly.

He was seated at the defense table next to his lawyer Joe Tacopina, who then rested the defense's case. Closing arguments are expected to come Thursday.

Opening statements began Jan. 24 in the three-week-long trial, and the rapper's accuser Terell Ephron, formerly known as A$AP Relli, has already shared his side of the story.

In cross-examination, Tacopina questioned Ephron's account and accused him of only seeking medical attention two days after the shooting at the suggestion of his lawyer in his civil lawsuit, according to The Associated Press.

"You really don't care about getting the police involved, your endgame was getting money from Rocky, correct?" Tacopina asked.

"No. I wanted protection. I wasn't sure it wouldn't happen again," Relli answered.

Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, is charged with two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm after he allegedly shot in Ephron's direction after an argument near a Hollywood hotel on Nov. 6, 2021. The rapper could serve up to 24 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

He previously opted out of a pre-trial plea deal that could have amounted to a mere 180-day sentence.

A$AP Twelvyy testifies

Yet another member of the A$AP collective took the stand late last week and into Monday: A$AP Twelvyy, who testified on behalf of Rocky.

Twelvyy attested under oath that Ephron instead had been the aggressor and that the gun fired that night was a prop firearm, as Rocky has claimed, according to Billboard.

The rapper was asked by Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney John Lewin what "AWGE" stands for. The acronym is the name of Rocky's creative agency and record label, and its meaning has been notoriously hidden.

As he prepared to answer, Rocky interjected from the defense table, "Don't say it," according to Billboard.

Twelvyy denied hearing the command, saying, "I heard something. I'm not too sure what I heard, I was listening to you," per the outlet.

A$AP Relli makes surprising statement during A$AP Rocky Trial

Earlier in the trial, Ephron reversed previous testimony, shocking trial viewers. He admitted he was shooting a semiautomatic gun two weeks before the alleged shooting took place, according to Rolling Stone and Courthouse News Service.

Last week, when asked by Rocky's lawyer Joe Tacopina about a video of him at a gun club, Ephron said the video was filmed in New Jersey, his home state. But over the week, Ephron contacted prosecutors to tell them the video was actually filmed in Los Angeles.

After checking his Instagram, he said he realized that the video was taken in Los Angeles. Throughout his time on the stand, Ephron delivered lively testimony, and his contradictory statements could complicate the jury's verdict.

"I just wanted to stop talking to you,” Ephron said to Tacopina when asked why the story changed, according to the Rolling Stone and CNS.

Rihanna appears in court to support A$AP Rocky

Rihanna, Rocky's longtime girlfriend and the mother of his two children, has appeared in court steadily throughout the trial, according to The Associated Press and Rolling Stone, sitting alongside his mother and sister.

On Friday, she and Rocky left the courtroom together for the first time, per AP, walking arm in arm.

More: Rihanna makes courthouse appearance to support A$AP Rocky amid shooting trial: Reports

When asked by a reporter how she was holding up, the superstar replied: "I'm good, thank you," AP reported.

The couple share sons RZA, 2, and Riot Rose, 1.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky relationship timeline: How the couple's romance began

A$AP Relli testifies against A$AP Rocky

The key witness in the case has already taken the stand.

During cross-examination on Jan. 30, Ephron seemingly grew impatient and was visibly frustrated as Rocky's attorney questioned him in court. In response, the judge called a 10-minute recess so the prosecution and Ephron's lawyer could explain to him how to answer properly in court.

Before recess was called, Ephron shouted to Rocky: "You did this to yourself!" Judge Mark Arnold sternly instructed Ephron to "not talk to the defendant."

Rocky's attorney questioned Ephron over his Instagram posts allegedly promoting his flashy lifestyle. "I don't see how you're basing me as a person on my Instagram," Ephron said.

Tacopina also attempted to contradict Ephron's earlier testimony that he had no social media presence due to backlash for coming forward about the alleged shooting. The attorney also challenged his previous claim that the public criticism caused him financial ruin.

"Why are you showing my Instagram? I'm already getting death threats," Ephron said to Tacopina during cross-examination.

He previously described how Rocky allegedly "shot down" with the gun and explained the contents of surveillance footage that was shown to the courtroom.

"The whole thing was like a movie, he kind of like pointed it down and he shot the first shot," he said. "When he shot the first shot, I felt my hand: hot. So I grabbed (Illijah Ulanger, also known as A$AP Illz), used him as a shield."

Ulanger, who'd allegedly arrived with Rocky, was "petrified" and "screaming no, no, no," Ephron described.

A$AP Relli recounts alleged A$AP Rocky shooting, 'grazed' hand

In prior appearances, Rocky has maintained that the item he was carrying was not a real firearm, but rather a starter pistol – a prop gun – that he claims contained no live rounds, per Rolling Stone and The Associated Press.

However, during Jan. 29 testimony, Ephron claimed, "It was a real gun."

According to the Los Angeles Times, Rocky's attorney previously said he was unable to bring the gun in as evidence to present at trial.

Ephron told the courtroom he'd returned to the scene, after police arrived to investigate a report of a shooting, and found two shell casings. Per the LA Times, Tacopina previously cast doubt on Ephron's claim that he'd found such evidence that had been missed by investigating officers.

A$AP Relli testimony begins, says A$AP Rocky 'lies a lot'

On Jan. 28, Ephron told the jury he and Rocky were part of the same group of artists coming up in New York. The collective called themselves A$AP – an acronym for Always Strive and Prosper, among other things.

Ephron said in his testimony the two had been close, even as Rocky became more famous, but the relationship began to fray in the years leading up to the alleged shooting. Rocky would fail to respond to his text messages, Ephron said, and then call him "emotional" when he brought it up.

Ephron claimed the impetus for their altercation was a phone call in which he overheard Rocky call him a series of slurs. When the two met up the following day, Ephron alleged Rocky pulled out a semiautomatic handgun and held it against his stomach and head.

"He lies a lot," Ephron told the courtroom, adding that he jokingly called Rocky "Mr. Six Month Man," because he would only see him every six months.

Why is A$AP Rocky on trial?

He's accused of firing a gun twice in the direction of Ephron, after an argument in Hollywood, California, in November 2021. In January 2024, he pleaded not guilty to the weapons charges.

In November, during a preliminary hearing that included testimony and surveillance video evidence, a Los Angeles judge ruled there was enough evidence for the Puma creative director to stand trial.

"We're ready to go. It’s been a long time," said Tacopina, Rocky's defense lawyer, after a Jan. 15 hearing, according to The Associated Press. "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."

It's unclear what implications the case could have on his career, as the rapper and 2025 Met Gala co-chair is due to release his delayed fourth studio album, "Don't Be Dumb." The "Dope" actor is also set to star in the Rose Byrne film "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You," set for release this month, and the upcoming Spike Lee film "Highest 2 Lowest" with Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright and Ice Spice later this year, according to his IMDb page.

The case follows his 2019 arrest in Sweden for assault, for which he was convicted and spent over a month in jail.

Rihanna discusses 'cautious' start to dating A$AP Rocky, fears that come with motherhood

A$AP Rocky rejects plea deal, lawyer unveils 'prop gun' defense

Rocky rejected his final plea deal offer from Los Angeles prosecutors, on Jan. 21, according to Rolling Stone and The Associated Press.

The offer would have also required three years probation, 52 weeks of anger management and 480 hours of community service, Rolling Stone reported. The offer also included a seven-year suspended sentence (which would be delayed and not enforced if certain probation requirements were met) but would have left Rocky with a felony record, affecting his ability to travel, according to the outlet.

A$AP Rocky footage: What does it show?

Video shown in court in November showed a group of men, two of whom officials identified as Rocky and Ephron, involved in a verbal altercation, according to The Associated Press.

A video prosecutors showed during a November preliminary hearing includes what sounded like two gunshots followed by a man running around a corner and beginning to walk, the outlet reported. The man's identity is unclear, but a Los Angeles Police Department detective said investigators established the individual is Rocky.

The video shows a man whose face isn't visible, in a hooded sweatshirt, holding what appears to be a firearm, AP reported. An image from the video shows the man in the sweatshirt's face while the gun is not visible. The detective said the images are how investigators determined the person in question was the Billboard chart-topping rapper, according to the outlet.

What criminal charges does A$AP Rocky face?

Rocky faces two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm in his criminal trial. He is also facing a separate civil lawsuit from Ephron.

In August 2022, Rocky pleaded not guilty to the charges. Rocky was required to plead not guilty a second time in January 2024, following a November ruling finding there was sufficient evidence to bring the rapper to trial.

Who is A$AP Relli?

Ephron, formerly known as A$AP Relli, testified at the November hearing that he and his childhood friend Rocky belonged to the same group of artists at their New York high school, according to AP. Both are a part of what was known as A$AP Mob, the hip-hop collective featuring chart-topping rapper A$AP Ferg and the late A$AP Yams.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

Contributing: Charles Trepany, Anna Kaufman, KiMi Robinson and Pamela Avila, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ASAP Rocky trial: Rihanna attends court, Rapper's defense rests