ASAP Rocky and his legal representative, Joe Tacopina, found themselves on the receiving end of a lawsuit filed by Terell Ephron, also known as ASAP Relli. A member of the former’s A$AP Mob, Relli alleged defamation stemming from public statements connected to a felony assault case dated back to November 2021.
According to a recent report by Rolling Stone, Relli contended that a media campaign was orchestrated under Rocky’s directive. He accused the pair of making false statements to the press that subsequently led to threats against his life and widespread public mockery.
With seasoned attorney Camille Vasquez in his corner – who previously advocated for Johnny Depp in his notable case against Amber Heard – Relli reportedly sought damages. However, the precise amount of which remains undisclosed.
“This is actually nothing more than a publicity stunt, which is going to backfire badly. I more than welcome this lawsuit, especially because the resolution of the criminal case has not happened yet,” Tacopina told TMZ in response to the situation.
He added, “This opens up this extortionist to depositions under oath now before the resolution of the criminal case. It will expose the fraud he committed, and unfortunately for his lawyers, it will cause them to be responsible for legal fees in this case. They don’t know the facts of this case or the actions taken by their client. But, I will be more than happy to educate them.”
At the time of publishing, Rocky has not formally spoken out against the caims.
On a brighter note, Rocky recently accepted the Virgil Abloh Award during the 16th Annual Harlem’s Fashion Row (HFR) Show and Style Awards on Sept. 5. In his acceptance speech, the “RIOT (Rowdy Pipe’n)” artist shared, “To be a trendsetter, it takes a lot of balls, and excuse my French, you feel me? Thank you, y’all. The reason I can talk like this in front of you is because of Harlem.”