A$AP Rocky's potential trial jurors quizzed over Rihanna and her lingerie line amid gun-firing case

Potential jurors successful the shooting lawsuit against A$AP Rocky person reportedly been asked questions gauging their cognition and involvement level successful the rapper's longtime partner, Rihanna.

TMZ reports imaginable jurors person been quizzed astir some Rihanna, 36, and A$AP, 36.

Rocky is lasting proceedings connected charges that helium fired a weapon astatine Terell Ephron, a erstwhile person and collaborator, extracurricular a Hollywood edifice successful 2021. He has pleaded not blameworthy to 2 felony charges of battle with a semiautomatic firearm.

Lawyers reportedly asked those summoned for assemblage work if they had ever purchased products sold by Rihanna.

Rihanna — who has been dating A$AP, 36, since 2020 and shares sons RZA, two, and Riot, one, with him — sells a covering and lingerie enactment called Savage x Fenty, arsenic good arsenic the cosmetics scope Fenty Beauty.

Possible jurors were reportedly asked if they had ever purchased Rihanna's products and if they would beryllium capable to scope a just and impartial verdict if the songstress was contiguous successful the courtroom.

TMZ reports the imaginable assemblage excavation was also asked if members had heard of A$AP oregon the Diamonds singer, listened to their songs oregon downloaded their music.

Later connected Thursday, the proceedings took a measurement guardant erstwhile a last assemblage was seated.

Notably, Rocky volition beryllium judged by a juror that includes nary Black radical — who marque up astir 9 percent of the colonisation of Los Angeles County — according to TMZ.

The 12 jurors are comprised of 7 women and 5 men, and they are reportedly white, Asian and Hispanic.

Four alternate jurors, each women, were besides selected successful lawsuit immoderate of the regular jurors are removed oregon person to measurement down, but nary of them were Black either. 

The proceedings is being overseen by Judge Mark Arnold, who is white.

That whitethorn not beryllium large quality for Rocky — existent name: Rakim Athelaston Mayers — arsenic a 2012 study conducted astatine Duke University recovered that a assemblage with astatine slightest 1 Black subordinate tended to convicted Black defendants astatine akin rates to achromatic defendants, whereas Black defendants were much apt to beryllium convicted than achromatic defendants erstwhile determination were nary Black jurors.

However, that survey was conducted connected lone achromatic oregon Black jurors, truthful the multiracial constitution of Rocky's assemblage whitethorn not beryllium arsenic influential.

Both the prosecution and the defendant's lawyer had the enactment to flip retired prospective jurors. In summation to dismissals for cause, each broadside tin person 10 jurors dismissed without giving a reason. The defence has utilized 4 of its challenges. Prosecutors utilized conscionable one. They said they are blessed with the assemblage arsenic presently composed.

However, attorneys for Rocky said they planned to entreaty the judge's rejection of their petition for a proceeding connected wherefore little than 5 percent of the assemblage excavation is Black, portion the country they are drawn from is astir 9 percent African American, which whitethorn person played a relation successful the last assemblage person nary Black members.

'We´re troubled by that to accidental the least,' Tacopina said. 'We´re successful downtown Los Angeles, not a tiny municipality successful Montana.'

The Rev. Al Sharpton said connected the societal level X that helium has been pursuing the proceedings and was captious of the radical constitution of the juror pool.

'It is perfectly ridiculous that the assemblage volition beryllium not just and representative, truthful arsenic to deprive A$AP Rocky of a just trial,' the station said. 'I americium monitoring this proceedings and challenging the Los Angeles District Attorney to guarantee that just and typical justness is afforded to A$AP Rocky.'

The justice declined to intermission the proceedings for the appeal. 

Rocky has pleaded not blameworthy to 2 felony charges of battle with a semiautomatic firearm and he's facing up to 24 years successful situation if convicted of both.

The charges originate from a November 2021 confrontation successful Hollywood betwixt Rocky and chap rapper Terell Ephron, whose signifier sanction is A$AP Relli. He was a member, with Rocky, successful the ASAP Mob rap radical that started successful Harlem successful 2006.

Rocky was arrested successful April 2022 astatine LAX airdrome arsenic helium stepped disconnected a backstage level from Barbados wherever helium had been connected abrogation with Rihanna.

He has been escaped connected bail of $550,000 since his arrest.

At a preliminary hearing, prosecutors presented surveillance camera footage and grounds from Ephron and cops to enactment their allegation that during the argument, Rocky pointed a handgun astatine Ephron, past fired it doubly toward him injuring his hand.

Ephron himself testified that Rocky held the weapon to his tummy and said 'I'll termination you close now,' earlier firing disconnected rounds.

Rocky's lawyer Joe Tacopina has challenged the prosecution's case, saying determination wasn't capable impervious that a shooting had adjacent happened and calling the surveillance video grounds and witnesser grounds 'inconclusive'.

Ephron has filed a abstracted civilian battle and artillery suit against Rocky which is connected clasp pending the result of the transgression trial.

Earlier Tuesday, Rocky and his ineligible squad had the accidental to judge a plea woody successful which helium would plead blameworthy to 1 of the battle charges successful speech for a seven-year suspended sentence, 180 days successful jailhouse and 3 years probation.

The 2nd felony complaint would person besides been dismissed.

But Tacopina turned down the offer, telling LA Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold that the weapon Rocky changeable Ephron with was really a 'prop gun' – a fake firearm utilized successful movies.

It was the 2nd clip that Rocky's defence lawyers person blown disconnected a prosecution plea deal.

After the archetypal woody was presented past Wednesday, Tacopina told DailyMail.com: 'He did not perpetrate a crime' and called the LA District Attorney's lawsuit against Rocky 'fundamentally weak.'

The justice antecedently said helium expected a assemblage volition beryllium chosen astatine the proceedings of A$AP Rocky connected Thursday, portion lawyers for the hip-hop prima are protesting the dearth of Black candidates for the panel.

Nearly 1 100 imaginable jurors volition battalion into the Los Angeles courtroom for a 3rd agelong time of questioning astatine the trial, wherever Rocky is accused of 2 counts of battle with a semiautomatic firearm for allegedly firing connected a erstwhile person successful Hollywood successful 2021.

Opening statements volition apt statesman astatine the adjacent session, present that each 12 jurors and the 4 alternates person been seated.

'I´m beauteous definite we´re going to person a assemblage tomorrow,' Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold said astatine the extremity of tribunal Wednesday, thanking the panelists for their patience. 'This is not going to spell connected forever.'