Can Rihanna Sway Jury in A$AP Rocky Trial?

Jury selection in A$AP Rocky's felony assault trial begins Tuesday in Los Angeles, and lawyers will be considering the potential impact his longtime girlfriend Rihanna might have on the jurors.

A$AP Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, has pleaded not guilty to accusations that he shot at his former friend A$AP Relli, four years ago.

The rapper shares two sons with Rihanna, who may attend court to support him, although concrete plans for her to do so have yet to be made public.

Newsweek has contacted representatives for Rihanna by email for comment.

Why It Matters

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, both 36 years old, have been dating since about 2020, and share sons RZA, 2, and Riot, 1. Rihanna, 36, is a nine-time Grammy-winning megastar and billionaire founder of Fenty Beauty. The Love On the Brain singer has 150 million Instagram followers (compared to A$AP Rocky's 18.2 million). The superstar's presence in court would attract media attention and could impact jurors, say experts speaking to Newsweek.

Why Is A$AP Rocky on Trial?

A$AP Rocky is facing two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm for allegedly firing shots at A$AP Relli in November 2021.

If convicted on all charges, A$AP Rocky could get up to 24 years in prison. He has pleaded not guilty and is not interested in taking a plea deal, his attorney Joe Tacopina said in court on January 15.

Gloria Allred

Attorney Gloria Allred has been involved in many high-profile cases over the years, often involving sexual abuse by celebrities. She's represented victims of Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, Roman Polanski, and R. Kelly, and is currently representing an alleged sexual assault victim of Sean "Diddy" Combs.

No stranger to celebrity cases, Allred told Newsweek that most jurors will know who Rihanna is or could easily find out that she shares two sons with A$AP Rocky. This could help A$AP Rocky during jury deliberations, Allred said, as jurors may be less likely to convict him due to Rihanna's support or knowing that the famous pair are parents to young children.

"Although jurors are instructed by the judge to consider only the evidence admitted by the court, it is human nature for many jurors to look at a celebrity sitting in the courtroom," Allred told Newsweek.

"Even though jurors should not take those facts into consideration and even if jurors state that they will not consider that, some jurors will not be able to ignore it," she added.

In criminal cases, the prosecution must prove the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. This means that the evidence must be so strong that there is no reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime.

Allred said this can be more complex in celebrity cases.

"Because they are facing a celebrity's defense team, their actual burden of proof is much more than what is required by the law. Maybe, for example, they may feel that the burden is not beyond a reasonable doubt, but beyond any doubt whatsoever," she said.

Jo-Ellan Dimitrius

Dr. Jo-Ellan Dimitrius. has been a jury consultant in more than 60 trials, including the Rodney King, John Dupont, McMartin Preschool, and O.J. Simpson cases.

Dimitrius told Newsweek that weeding out A$AP Rocky or Rihanna fans during jury selection is an important step in this trial.

"As a consultant, you would be interested in knowing potential jurors' specific knowledge of these individuals, and for Rihanna, obviously, their music listening preferences."

"If you have somebody that listens to classical and that's all they like, they may not particularly be a fan of Rihanna. Or if you have somebody that listens to country—If you've got somebody who likes R&B and rap, those jurors will be more potentially impacted by somebody like Rihanna being there."

Dimitrius also spoke about the security measures needed in this case, explaining that it is likely a "multi-entity" issue.

"I know from high-profile cases that what happens is the celebrity's security team will coordinate with court officials, and that's from literally the moment they get near the courthouse in their car or however they are arriving. All of that is going to be very carefully orchestrated through the court security personnel."

She continued, "These are all measures they've been talking about for a while, and it's very carefully orchestrated with the LAPD, possibly even the Sheriff's Department, court personnel, and Rihanna and Rocky's security teams."

Neama Rahmani

Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Newsweek in an email, "Jurors love celebrities, and Rihanna is one of the biggest celebrities in the world."

"The question is, will she attend every day of the trial to support Rocky? Defense attorneys like to show family support. That's why you see Diddy's family in the gallery supporting him at every hearing. Consciously or subconsciously, it tends to have an effect on jurors."

What Has A$AP Rocky's Lawyers Said About Rihanna?

Outside the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center last week, Joe Tacopina, an attorney for A$AP Rocky, told reporters he was unsure if Rihanna will attend the trial.

"I know Rocky is very protective of Rihanna and doesn't want her anywhere near this proceeding. But that's a family decision they'll make," he said.

Tacopina added: "This case is not about Rihanna. But I guess the D.A. [District Attorney] wants to make sure people aren't so enamored with Rihanna they're going to be so blinded by their love for Rihanna they won't listen to the evidence and facts of this case. I don't think that's the case. I think people are too smart for that. But I guess they're worried about it. They want to make sure she's classified in [a certain] way."

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