Terrell Ephron, who is also known by his moniker A$AP Relli, took the witness stand on Tuesday in the assault trial of rapper A$AP Rocky and accused his former friend of firing a gun at him during a confrontation between the two in Hollywood in 2021.
Prosecutors questioned Ephron about the sequence of events after he testified about an argument during which the rapper, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, allegedly brandished a gun.
Asked why he would follow someone he knew had a gun, Ephron said that since it was a busy street in Hollywood, he believed Mayers definitely wouldn’t shoot him. Mayers and Ephron were childhood friends and both part of the Harlem-based rap collective A$AP Mob.
“[Rocky] turned around and then it was, like, BOOM!” Ephron said, recounting the alleged shooting. “The whole thing was like a movie, he kind of like pointed down and he shot the first shot.”
Ephron said that his hand was “grazed” by a bullet and felt “hot.” He said that he then grabbed one of their friends and stood behind him for cover and then Mayers allegedly fired again before leaving the scene.
Prosecutors concluded their questioning of Ephron on Wednesday, but he is expected back on the witness stand on Thursday to face cross-examination.
During opening arguments last week Mayers’ lead attorney Joe Tacopina told the members of the jury that they will hear from multiple witnesses during the trial who will testify that the gun seen in the surveillance video is “absolutely nothing more than a prop gun” that is often used in movies and music videos. Asked ahead of the trial if Mayers is expected to take the stand, Tacopina did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Rakim Mayers, a.k.a. A$AP Rocky, listens to opening remarks by prosecuting attorney at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles, on Jan. 24, 2025. Genaro Molina/Pool via REUTERS
Genaro Molina, Pool via Reuters
Mayers – a Grammy-nominated hip-hop star and partner to pop star Rihanna – was charged on Aug. 15, 2022, with two counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm for allegedly firing a handgun twice in the direction of the alleged victim during a confrontation. He pleaded not guilty. If convicted, the New York rapper could face up to 24 years in prison.
Rihanna, who shares two young sons with Mayers, made her first appearance during the trial when she attended the proceedings on Wednesday.
Ahead of jury selection last week, Mayers was offered a plea deal that included a 180-day jail term but he declined to accept it, prosecutors and his lead attorney confirmed to ABC News.
“He was offered a plea deal but is not interested because he is actually innocent,” Tacopina told ABC News.
A$AP Rocky walks into the courthouse for his upcoming trial alongside his attorney Joe Tacopina at Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, on Jan. 8, 2024, in Los Angeles.
Michael Blackshire/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
A jury of seven women and five men was selected on Thursday and testimony began on Friday after prosecutors and Mayers’ defense team delivered their opening arguments.
Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Paul Przelomiec delivered the prosecution’s opening statements, arguing before the jury that a series of videos show that the rapper fired a gun at Ephron.
Prosecutors also presented the jury with a series of maps, identifying photos, a 911 call from the night of the incident and several videos captured by surveillance cameras in the area.
“This is not a complicated case. The evidence will show the events in this case were captured on surveillance video,” Przelomiec said.
In this Dec. 4, 2024, file photo, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky attend an event in New York.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images, FILE
In the defense’s opening statements, Tacopina claimed that the rapper is “innocent” and that Ephron is seeking financial gain.
“This is about one man’s lies, jealousy, and greed,” Tacopina told the jury, casting the case as “all about money.”
Ephron came forward as the victim of the alleged assault and filed a civil lawsuit on Aug. 10, 2022, accusing Mayers of assault, battery, inflicting emotional distress and negligence. He claimed that he was “stuck by bullet projectile/fragments” during the alleged assault.
Court records show that Mayers denied all wrongdoing in his response to the complaint.
Ephron also filed a defamation lawsuit on Sept. 19, 2023, naming Mayers and his legal team, including Tacopina. Court documents show that in their answer to the complaint, Mayers and his attorneys denied “each and every allegation” outlined in the suit.
According to court records, both cases are pending.
ABC News reached out to Tacopina and Ephron’s attorney Jamal Tooson for further comment.