Rihanna showed up for the first time at the trial of her longtime partner A$AP Rocky, and it just so happened to be on the day of the key testimony — when a former friend described the moment Rocky supposedly fired a gun at him. The famous singer and businesswoman, who has two little boys with rapper Rocky, stayed out of sight from the courtroom cameras, sitting between Rocky's mom and sister at the downtown Los Angeles criminal courthouse. Security quietly brought her into the courtroom to steer clear of the crowds. Rocky, legally named Rakim Athelston Mayer, has been on trial facing two felony charges for allegedly firing a handgun at a former friend, A$AP Relli, who was born Terell Ephron. Rocky might face a sentence of up to 24 years if he's convicted. On Wednesday, Rihanna was there to see Relli talk about the time he claims Rocky fired a gun at him on a Hollywood street back in 2021. He was really yelling at Rocky, who was just trying to walk away after they had a bit of a fight. Then, out of nowhere, Rocky pulled a gun from his waistband and held it up in the air, Relli said. "He turned around and then it was like, 'BOOM!'" he shared with the jury. "It was just like a scene from a movie, you know? He pointed down and took the first shot." A$AP Rocky is tuning in to the testimony happening in court. If he's found guilty, Rocky might face as much as 24 years behind bars. Frazer Harrison/Pool Photo via The Associated Press "My hand felt really hot," he mentioned, and then he added, "I got hit." I might have just been grazed. I didn't have a hole or anything. "My hand felt really hot," he said, and then he added, "I got hit." I might have just been grazed. I didn't have a hole or anything. The main witness in the trial mentioned that he pulled one of their mutual friends, who was with Rocky, behind him for safety right after the first shot went off. He mentioned that he didn't see Rocky take the second shot, and then Rocky took off just a moment later. During the juror selection process, prosecutors wanted to know if Rihanna's involvement in the case, particularly if she showed up in court, would influence the jurors' ability to reach a guilty verdict. Most of the people we talked to knew about her — way more than those who knew about Rocky — and a few even called themselves fans. But everyone agreed it wouldn’t change their choices. It wasn't clear whether the jurors could see Rihanna or even knew she was there while they were watching the testimony. Relli shared with the court that their relationship had been rocky for years and had been deteriorating even more in the days before the incident. Still, he felt "furious" when Rocky pulled a gun on him after a fight that kicked off as soon as they met up near the W Hotel. I mentioned to him that he should go ahead and use it. "I just couldn't wrap my head around it," Relli said, glancing over at his old friend who was watching him closely from the defense table. So, when Rocky walked away, Relli said he followed him and called out, right up until the shots rang out. Rocky's lawyer mentioned that the shots he fired weren't from a real gun at all — they were actually blanks from a starter pistol he had as a prop. The lawyer mentioned that Relli was aware of this, which is why he confidently walked after him. "Yeah, it was definitely a real gun," Relli said on Wednesday, explaining that he could tell because of the scrape on his hand. He mentioned that he felt it was okay to follow and shout at Rocky because he believed Rocky had put it away and figured he wouldn't fire it "on a busy street in Hollywood." Since the shooting and his choice to go to the police and testify, he’s been dealing with death threats and being labeled a snitch. He mentioned that his modest music management career has completely unraveled. "It's been really tough," Relli said. About an hour after the shooting, Relli came back to the scene and mentioned that he took some photos and found two shell casings. So, earlier when the police went to check out a report of a shooting, they didn’t find anything. He texted Rocky, and it came up in court where he said, "You try killing me." Rocky shot back in his response: "Bro, what are you talking about? Why are you telling people I shot at you?" He shared some photos with Rocky, showing the shell casings and his hand, which had a graze on it. Rocky mentioned that he was just making things up and talking "all kinds of nonsense," and that he was trying to "extort" him. So, the court day wrapped up pretty quickly, just a few hours of testimony, all because of some scheduling conflicts. Rihanna was taken out through a restricted exit by deputies, while Rocky made his way out through the main courthouse doors on his own. On Thursday, the defence is set to start their cross-examination of Relli.
