Rihanna is showing her support for longtime partner ASAP Rocky amid his ongoing trial.
Rihanna, 36, made her first appearance during Rocky’s trial on Wednesday, January 29, when she was seen at the Los Angeles court, per multiple outlets. She escorted to the courthouse and courtroom by security officials, per the Associated Press. (Rihanna was not present when Rocky’s trial officially started on January 23.)
The singer, who donned an all-black ensemble, sat in the galley alongside Rocky’s mother Renee Black and his sister Erika B. Mayers, per the outlet. Her seat was not in view of the courtroom’s cameras.
Rocky, 36, is charged with two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm related to a 2021 shooting incident in Hollywood. He is accused of firing four or five shots at childhood friend Terell Ephron, who claimed that the shots “grazed his knuckles,” per the Associated Press. Rocky has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face up to 24 years in prison.
Lawyers in ASAP Rocky Trial Ask Prospective Jurors About Rihanna’s Influence
During jury selection earlier this month, Deputy District Attorney John Lewin asked one prospective juror if Rihanna — who shares two kids, RZA and Riot Rose, with Rocky — would influence delivering a guilty verdict to the defendant.
“What if Rihanna comes here to court, is it going to be hard for you to look over there and see the defendant’s family and deliver a guilty verdict?” Lewin asked, as reported by the Associated Press. The outlet reported that the woman took a long pause before replying, “Yes.”
The Associated Press reported that it took both the prosecution and the defense two and a half days to select the jurors from a “pool of more than a hundred candidates.” The outlet reported that the final selection included a podcast editor and actor as well as a man who worked at Trader Joe’s for more than two decades.
While Rihanna has been absent from court, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne’s son, Thomas Zizzo Jr., made an appearance on Friday, January 24. TMZ reported that the police officer reportedly “testified about what he saw at the scene when he arrived.”
Rihanna Is ‘Holding It All Together’ Before ASAP Rocky’s Trial (Source)
Rihanna and Rocky, who began dating in 2019, have largely been private about their romance. In April 2024, Rihanna made a brief comment about their relationship during a conversation with Interview.
“We’ve known each other for a long time. I’ve seen him in relationships. He’s seen me in relationships. We’ve seen each other outside of relationships,” she said at the time. “We knew what we’re capable of, and the trouble that we could bring to each other’s lives. We can make or break each other’s hearts. And so, we started dating with a lot of caution.”
