A$AP Rocky Is Going Back To Court, A$AP Relli Moves Forward With Civil Suit

A$AP Rocky is not through with legal battles against former friend A$AP Relli.

Rakim “A$AP Rocky” Mayers is heading back to court after his criminal acquittal. The rapper’s longtime friend, Terell Ephron, also known as A$AP Relli, is moving forward with a civil lawsuit for assault and battery.

Rolling Stone reported the trial is scheduled to begin January 12, 2026. After losing the criminal case against Rocky, Relli’s legal team still maintains there is enough evidence to proceed.

The standard of proof is more lenient in a civil suit. Relli’s attorney, Mellisa Mikail, is confident in the case’s viability.

“The standard in a criminal case is much higher than the preponderance of the evidence standard in a civil matter,” Mikail said. “We still believe that our claims have merit, and we intend on fully litigating them.”

However, attorneys for Rocky argue the acquittal on criminal charges reflects a lack of sufficient evidence. The defense team stated that a jury has already found the evidence lacking and that a new jury will likely dismiss the testimony as meritless.

A week after A$AP Rocky was found not guilty of firing a semiautomatic pistol at a former friend, the rapper’s accuser made clear he’s still moving ahead with his civil lawsuit over the same incident.

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After the criminal acquittal, James Sargent spoke about the jury’s decision and Rocky’s intent to see the trial through without settling with the plaintiff.

“Mr. Ephron testified in the criminal case as to the facts and circumstances. The jury’s acquittal speaks volumes about how they valued that testimonial evidence,” Sargent told the judge.

Rocky’s legal team also advised Relli to reconsider his decision to continue with the civil case.

“We look forward to full vindication. The plaintiff can take a sober assessment of the outcome of the criminal case and change course,” Sargent told Rolling Stone.

The civil case will hopefully be the final chapter in the saga for the father of Rihanna’s children. Rocky’s criminal case was a lengthy process. The case stemmed from an incident on Nov. 6, 2021. Relli accused the Praise The Lord rapper of firing a weapon in his direction, causing “minor injury,” according to the Los Angeles Police Department.