Rihanna and A$AP Rocky shrug off their problems on a glam festive date night in LA – as rapper faces prison time in gun assault trial
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky looked like they were getting into the holiday spirit during a date night on Sunday as the rapper's assault trial loomed.
The 35-year-old Fenty Beauty mogul and 35-year-old rapper were dressed to the nines for a romantic dinner at celeb hotspot Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica, California.
Wearing a chic fur headscarf, a blue satin shirt, a matching jacket and a pair of faded denim, the We Found Love singer looked like she stepped off the cover of a magazine.
The rapper held her hand as he left the eatery, rocking a tan ensemble of matching plaid shirt, jacket and pants.
The superstar couple appeared focused on each other as the outing comes a few weeks after a judge ordered A$AP to stand trial on two felony counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm.
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky looked like they were getting into the holiday spirit during a date night on Sunday as the rapper's trial loomed
The 35-year-old Fenty Beauty mogul and 35-year-old rapper were dressed to the nines for a romantic dinner at celeb hotspot Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica.
The entertainer reportedly shot a gun at his former boyfriend, A$AP Relli (Terell Ephron) in 2021.
“The entirety of the video and the testimonies show that there is sufficient evidence for the suspect to be brought to trial,” Supreme Court Justice ML Villar said during the hearing on November 20, per New York magazine.
She set the court date for January.
During the preliminary hearing, Ephron explained how his relationship with A$AP deteriorated after A$AP became famous.
On the night of the shooting, A$AP called Ephron to a meeting at an LA hotel, where they argued before A$AP pulled a gun on him.
“I'll kill you now,” Ephron recalled shouting as A$AP held a gun to his stomach, before firing a series of shots as he left the room.
One shot hit him in the hand, but it wasn't until the next day that Ephron mustered up the courage to report the shooting and a warrant was issued for the rapper's arrest.
Ephron was “struck by bullet projectiles/fragments” in his left hand and required medical attention, according to court papers. BBC.
Rihanna wore a chic fur headscarf, a blue satin shirt, a matching jacket and a pair of faded denim
The rapper held her hand as he left the eatery
A$AP rocked a tan ensemble of matching plaid shirts, jackets and pants
He is seeking at least $25,000 in damages.
A$AP has pleaded not guilty.
If convicted, he could face up to nine years in prison, according to the BBC.
The Los Angeles Police Department first announced the charges — two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm — in August 2022.
This came four months after the rapper (whose legal name is Rakim Mayers) was arrested while returning from a trip to Barbados with Rihanna.
The rapper has been dating Rihanna since around 2020, but neither confirmed the relationship until May 2021, when he called her the “love of my life” in a GQ interview.
Rihanna added an animal print heel to the luxurious fashion mix
The hitmaker had a matching fur clutch with him for the date
Rihanna styled her locks long and loose under the fur hat
At the time of the rapper's arrest, the LAPD reportedly searched A$AP Rocky's LA home and released details of the incident, which took place on November 6 at an obscure location outside the W Hotel in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
An LAPD news release called A$AP Rocky and the victim “two acquaintances” and said they got into an argument that “escalated and resulted in the suspect firing a gun.”
The victim told officers that A$AP Rocky shot him “three to four times,” grazing his left hand, before fleeing with two other men. The shooting does not appear to have been reported in the press at the time.
Over the past decade, A$AP Rocky has faced multiple legal troubles, including two charges of assault following public altercations.
In July 2019, he was arrested in Sweden after a street brawl involving him and three members of his entourage with another person.
The superstar couple appeared focused on each other as the outing comes a few weeks after a judge ordered A$AP to stand trial on two felony counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm.
The entertainer reportedly shot a gun at his former boyfriend, A$AP Relli (Terell Ephron) in 2021.
A judge set the hearing date for January
Both sides alleged acts of self-defense.
A$AP Rocky spent six weeks in Swedish detention and was found guilty of simple assault after a trial and was ordered to pay $1,270 in damages.
The artist, who grew up in New York City's Harlem neighborhood, was also charged with attempted murder at the age of 16.
A$AP, who started selling drugs during his youth, was reportedly bullied by an older man.
He went to the alleged bully's home to confront him and ended up firing a gun at him.
On the night of the shooting, A$AP called Ephron to a meeting at an LA hotel, where they argued before A$AP pulled a gun on him.
“I'll kill you now,” Ephron recalled shouting as A$AP held a gun to his stomach, before firing a series of shots as he left the room.
Ephron was “struck by bullet projectile/fragments” in his left hand and required medical attention, according to court papers
The couple welcomed their first child, RZA, a few weeks after A$AP's arrest
A$AP has pleaded not guilty
If convicted, A$AP faces up to nine years in prison
The rapper has been dating Rihanna since around 2020, but neither confirmed the relationship until May 2021, when he called her the “love of my life” in a GQ interview.
The couple welcomed their first child, RZA, a few weeks after A$AP's arrest.
Their second son, Riot Rose, arrived in August.