Rapper A$AP Rocky was acquitted Tuesday of two felony charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, ending a high-profile trial stemming from a 2021 altercation with former friend and A$AP Mob member Terell Ephron, known as A$AP Relli. The verdict, reached after just three hours of jury deliberation, sparked an emotional scene inside a Los Angeles courtroom as Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, embraced his longtime partner, singer Rihanna, and thanked jurors for what he called a decision that saved his life.

"Thank y'all for saving my life," Mayers told jurors as they exited the courtroom. His attorneys and Rihanna, who attended parts of the trial and brought their two children to some of the closing arguments, also reacted with relief and gratitude.

Prosecutors had argued that Mayers fired a semiautomatic weapon twice in Ephron's direction during a late-night altercation in Hollywood, allegedly grazing Ephron's hand. The prosecution described the incident as an escalation of a long-standing dispute and contended that Mayers' actions warranted serious consequences.

Deputy District Attorney John Lewin urged jurors not to be influenced by the rapper's celebrity status or personal relationships. "You are not allowed to consider how this might affect Rihanna and his kids," Lewin said in closing arguments. "We are all responsible for our own actions in the world."

Mayers' defense team, led by attorney Joe Tacopina, countered that Ephron was an unreliable witness, characterizing him as "an angry pathological liar" who had repeatedly changed his story. Defense witnesses testified that Mayers had fired only a prop gun, a starter pistol incapable of discharging real bullets, as a warning shot after Ephron allegedly attacked a member of their group.

Despite three years passing since the incident, the claim that Mayers used a prop gun was not introduced in court until jury selection began, a fact prosecutors highlighted as suspicious. However, the defense maintained that this evidence, along with the lack of conclusive physical proof tying Mayers to a real firearm, created enough reasonable doubt to clear him of the charges.

Mayers had rejected a pre-trial plea deal that would have resulted in six months in jail in exchange for a guilty plea. Instead, he took the case to trial, risking a sentence of more than two decades in prison. His acquittal now allows him to move forward with his career, which includes headlining the Rolling Loud music festival in March, co-chairing the Met Gala in May, and starring in director Spike Lee's upcoming film, "Highest 2 Lowest."

Outside the courthouse, Tacopina said, "Rocky did not want her here, I will tell you that," referring to Rihanna's presence. Rocky "wanted to shield her from this. Wild horses couldn't keep her away."

Ephron had testified that Mayers aimed the gun downward before firing, stating, "When he shot the first shot, I felt my hand hot, so I grabbed [A$AP] Illz, used him as a shield." Prosecutors contended that Ephron's injuries and testimony corroborated their case, while the defense maintained there was insufficient evidence proving Mayers fired a live weapon.

Following the verdict, Mayers appeared outside the courthouse and addressed reporters. "First of all, we want to thank God," he said. "We really want to thank the jury for making the right decision. We're blessed to be here right now, to be a free man talking to y'all."

Tacopina emphasized that the defense team believed from the beginning that the case lacked merit. "There's not enough evidence in this case to say definitively there was a shooting," he said. "They saw through this mirage of a case."