A$AP Rocky trial set to begin on charges he fired a gun at a former friend

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday in a trial against A$AP Rocky, who is charged with firing a gun at a former friend and could get a decades-long prison sentence if convicted.

The 36-year-old has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and his attorney has said he committed no crime.

The Grammy-nominated hip-hop star, fashion mogul and actor is the longtime partner of Rihanna, and the two have two toddler sons together. It's not entirely clear whether Rihanna will appear to support him in court, but his attorney has suggested it's unlikely.

Rocky has been named one of the celebrity chairs of the Met Gala in May, and has a major role in a Spike Lee-directed film with Denzel Washington to be released soon after.

But his life could be upended with a conviction that could lead to a sentence of up to 24 years if jurors find him guilty of shooting at his former firend in Hollywood in 2021.

Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold said he intends to seat a jury quickly, and is keeping strict limits on how long attorneys can question prospective jurors.

“I will let the jurors know that regardless of who a defendant is, whether they’re the richest person in the world or the poorest person, everybody is to be treated the same,” he said at a pretrial hearing.

Opening statements could come Wednesday. Arnold is allowing media cameras in court for the entire trial after a jury is selected.

In 2023, another judge ruled after a preliminary hearing that Rocky should stand trial for allegedly firing a gun at Terell Ephron, a childhood friend who testified that their relationship had soured and a feud came to a head on the night of Nov. 6, 2021. Ephron testified that bullets grazed his knuckles.