A$AP Rocky faces defamation lawsuit by alleged shooting victim A$AP Relli
nme.comA$AP Rocky and his defence attorney Joe Tacopina have been sued by former A$AP Mob member, A$AP Relli.The defamation lawsuit, obtained by Rolling Stone, was filed by A$AP Relli – real name Terell Ephron – and alleges that Tacopina and Rocky launched a smear campaign against Ephron in the wake of a shooting incident allegedly involving the pair in 2021.The new lawsuit stems from the ongoing criminal charges which allege that Rocky shot and injured Ephron during an altercation in Downtown Hollywood in November 2021.
Following that case – which saw Rocky plead not guilty to two charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm last August – Ephron now claims that the rapper and his lawyer have defamed his character in the press.In a statement provided to Pitchfork, a representative for Ephron said statements made by Tacopina in the media throughout 2022 “were false and malicious, and have caused Mr.
Ephron extreme reputational and emotional harm which must be remedied”.Ephron claims that public statements made by Tacopina, at Rocky’s behest, led to damage to his reputation, personal brand and future income, as well as his status as a member of A$AP Mob.
The lawsuit claims Ephron received death threats and was subject to ridicule as part of Tacopina’s press campaign to “impugn and malign” his character.In exchange, Ephron is seeking punitive or exemplary damages, plus legal fees.
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