Her reaction goes viral: Rihanna 'bursts' into tears when the jury announces the verdict for her partner ASAP Rocky

Rapper ASAP Rocky, Rihanna's partner, was found not guilty of all charges Tuesday by a jury in his felony criminal trial in downtown Los Angeles.

The 36-year-old, three-time Grammy Award-nominated artist was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a semi-automatic weapon in connection with a November 2021 incident in Hollywood, California, where the alleged victim was his former friend, A$AP Relli, writes Dailymail.

The "Take A Bow" singer broke down in tears as the verdict was read, as her partner faced up to 24 years in prison if convicted. ASAP Rocky ran to her and hugged her after the verdict was announced.

"Thank you everyone for saving my life," ASAP Rocky said to the jury, which consisted of seven women and five men, according to Associated Press.

The rapper, whose full name is Rakim Mayers, was emotional as he hugged his lawyers after the court's decision.

The jury reached a unanimous verdict after about three hours of deliberations, which began after closing arguments concluded last week.

Before the trial began, Rocky had rejected a plea deal from the prosecution that included six months in prison and parole. According to Associated Press, this agreement would require him to plead guilty to one of the charges.

ASAP Rocky celebrated the verdict with his partner Rihanna and legal team inside the courtroom and after leaving the building.

Prosecutors alleged that Rocky shot his former friend, A$AP Relli, twice. The latter testified in court that he was not seriously injured, but one of the bullets lightly grazed his wrist.

Rocky's legal team argued that the shots were actually blanks from a prop gun he had taken from the set of a music video. They said he used it to scare Relli, who they said was attacking another member of their band.

The court instructed the jury that under the law, A$AP Rocky could not be found guilty if he was found to have acted in self-defense.

The Barbados-born music and fashion superstar attracted media attention with her court appearances to support her partner, with whom she has two children: RZA, two, and Riot Rose, one.

During several hearings, Rihanna sat between A$AP Rocky's mother and sister, Renee Black and Erika B. Mayers. The "Diamonds" singer even brought their children to court for closing arguments in the case.

The acquittal comes at the height of Rocky's fame, at a pivotal moment in his music career. He is scheduled to headline the Rolling Loud festival in March, co-host the Met Gala in May, and star opposite Denzel Washington in Spike Lee's upcoming film "Highest 2 Lowest," due out in early summer.

Prosecutors and their witnesses argued that Rocky had a feud with his former friend, A$AP Relli, with whom he had been part of the A$AP Mob group since high school. They alleged that the pair met in Hollywood on November 6, 2021, and, after a fight, Rocky pulled out a gun and shot Relli twice, grazing his wrist but causing no serious injury.

Rocky's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, described Relli as "an angry pathological liar" who "perpetrated false testimony repeatedly."

The defense argued that Rocky had used a prop gun that fired only blanks, which he had kept for safety after filming a music video. They said he had used the gun to scare Relli after he was attacking another member of the group.

The lawyers were informed that, despite the fact that three years had passed since the incident, no one had mentioned the stolen weapon to the authorities until the day of jury selection for the trial.

They were also instructed that if they concluded that Rocky had reason to believe that he or his friends were in imminent danger, and if he had used reasonable force to defend himself, they could find him not guilty.

It was not immediately clear whether the jury's decision came because they believed he was carrying a prop gun or because they saw it as an act of self-defense. They did not have to agree on the reason, just reach the same conclusion.

Rocky chose not to testify in his own defense.

Meanwhile, Deputy District Attorney John Lewin urged the jury not to be swayed by fame or the family aspects of the case, suggesting that Rihanna's presence with the children in the courtroom was an attempt to influence their decision.

"You are not allowed to consider how this matter could affect Rihanna and his children," the prosecutor said. "We are all responsible for our actions in this world." /Telegraph/