Terell Ephron a.k.a. A$AP Relli is suing the 'Peso' rhymer and his attorney Joe Tacopina for defamation after a media campaign that portrayed him as a liar allegedly led to death threats.
- Sep 12, 2023
AceShowbiz - A$AP Rocky and his defense attorney are being sued by his alleged shooting victim. According to various reports, Terell Ephron a.k.a. A$AP Relli is suing the rapper and his attorney Joe Tacopina for defamation.
In the suit obtained by Rolling Stone, Relli claims following his civil suit against Rocky last year, Tacopina went on a press campaign to "impugn and malign" him. He asserts that the alleged campaign that painted him as a liar and extortionist led to death threats and ridicule.
With the legal counsel of Camille Vasquez, who famously represented Johnny Depp in his defamation case against Amber Heard, Relli is pursuing unspecified damages.
Rocky's lawyer has since responded to the lawsuit. In a statement to TMZ, Tacopina said, "This is actually nothing more than a publicity stunt which is going to backfire badly. I more than welcome this lawsuit especially because the resolution of the criminal case has not happened yet."
"This opens up this extortionist to depositions under oath now before the resolution of the criminal case," he further claimed. "It will expose the fraud he committed and unfortunately for his lawyers, it will cause them to be responsible for legal fees in this case. They don't know the facts of this case or the actions taken by their client. But, I will be more than happy to educate them."
Relli, who is a former member of A$AP Mob and former longtime friend of Rocky, sued the "L$D" hitmaker in August 2022 for a shooting incident in 2021. He is suing the 34-year-old for assault and battery, claiming that Rocky set up a meeting in an obscure location in central Hollywood "to discuss a disagreement between the two of them" that led to the shooting.
Rocky denied the allegations with Tacopina saying in a statement last September, "Rocky didn't commit a crime. It was an extortion attempted by a former associate, who threatened to make false criminal accusations if Rocky didn't pay him." The lawyer insisted, "What will become abundantly clear in the upcoming months, based on facts and evidence, is that Rocky is innocent of these charges."
