It’s been a few months since A$AP Relli filed a civil lawsuit against A$AP Rocky after a jury acquitted Rocky of allegedly shooting Relli in Los Angeles back in 2021, but the judge overseeing the lawsuit is asking Relli to rethink his latest lawsuit and try to come to an agreement with Rihanna’s baby daddy.
According to Rolling Stone, Los Angeles County Judge Randolph M. Hammock didn’t mince his words when he specifically advised Relli, born Terell Ephron, to drop his lawsuit during a hearing via telephone saying, “I would urge you to contact the other side and see if a deal can be made.” With Rocky’s legal team filing a motion to have the case dismissed entirely, Hammock cautioned Relli that he could be on the hook for up to $50,000 easily if Rocky’s motion is granted, and it would be in his best interest if he dropped his case saying, “Maybe in exchange for dismissing the lawsuit, they’ll drop their claim for fees. …Maybe it’s time to cut your losses.”
With a jury of his peers having already acquitted A$AP Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, of any wrongdoing over the 2021 incident, Relli still feels like he’s got a case, and having already lost a substantial amount of money behind it, Relli doesn’t seem like he’s going to be letting this go so easily.
Per Rolling Stone:
Relli, born Terell Ephron, appeared by phone at the hearing, representing himself. He told the court that his team of high-powered lawyers stopped representing him after a criminal court jury found Rocky not guilty of shooting him with a semiautomatic gun during a dispute on a Los Angeles street in 2021.
“I’ve already invested over $500,000. I paid [my prior law firm] Sheppard Mullin, and they left me at the last minute. So now, I’m stuck on my own. I’m just fighting for my rights here,” Ephron told Judge Hammock.
While Judge Hammock seemed empathetic to Relli’s stance on the case, he continued to warn him about the possible outcome should he end up with the short end of the stick and reminded him that Rocky and his team could still seek some kind of compensation even if the case is thrown out in their favor.
“Mr. Ephron, listen to me carefully, OK? This is a very, highly technical motion. It has to do with the First Amendment,” Judge Hammock said. “They have to [show] this is a matter of public interest. They probably will show that. I’m pretty sure they will. I think your case has gotten some press, okay? And I know that Mr. Mayers was recently acquitted. … Maybe you can reflect upon this case and what you want to do.” The judge said it was still possible he might rule in Ephron’s favor, but again he warned that Ephron was the underdog. He said Ephron might be throwing “good money” after “bad” if he persists.
Whether or not Ephron takes heed to the judge’s advice remains to be seen, but it does seem like this may be the hill he’s willing to die on, even as the odds are stacked against him.
What do y’all think about this situation? Should A$AP Relli continue to fight for some monetary compensation, or should he drop his lawsuit and try to avoid coughing up legal fees to Rocky and his legal team? Let us know in the comments section below.
