ASAP Rocky struggles with trust issues following the end of his “traumatic” gun assault case in February.
The New York rapper was found not guilty on two counts of first-degree assault connected to a 2021 altercation with his childhood friend, Terrell ‘A$AP Relli’ Ephron, in Hollywood. While Rocky insisted he was innocent, with his legal team arguing he was holding a prop gun, Ephron claimed shots were fired that injured his hand. With Rihanna, his longtime partner, and other family members supporting him throughout the four-week trial, the jury ultimately ruled in Rocky’s favor.
In a fresh Variety cover interview, Rocky revealed that the trial stirred up feelings of betrayal, which he’ll express on his upcoming fourth album, Don’t Be Dumb.
“I’m writing about these past four or five years that I had this over me, and it’s been kind of handicapping me,” Rocky shared with the magazine, noting that distrust has become a “lesson learned.”
“I’ve had trust issues for quite some time now. I can’t just blame it on my recent situation,” he went on. “But what I’ve learned is you have to accept that not everyone’s a good person; you won’t always meet someone solid. Not everybody will handle things the way you would.”
“When you finally accept that you’re only responsible for your own actions and nobody else’s… That’s where I stand now — like, hey, focus on what you do. Because I ain’t perfect. I’m human too, and we all f*ck up.”
In another part of the interview, Rocky showed reluctance to imagine being found guilty. After turning down a plea deal of 180 days behind bars, the artist faced up to 24 years if convicted.
“You have to stop yourself from thinking that way. Because it could consume you, and you might accidentally manifest that energy. I tried to stay positive throughout,” he shared.
Rocky mentioned that waiting for the verdict was “gut-wrenching and nerve-racking” and that he feared for his freedom but appreciated his support network.
The father of two is now looking ahead, describing the trial as a “traumatic situation” that he refuses to “dwell” on. Rocky has a packed schedule, getting ready for two film releases, including Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest and his upcoming album.
“I’ve got Cannes to attend. I’ve got an album to create. I’ve got fashion shows to do. I’ve got music to make. I’ve got videos. I’ve got sneakers to launch. I’ve got glasses to be the new creative director of. I’ve got children. I’ve got all kinds of stuff,” he said. “Like, no, why would I dwell on that dark-ass shit? I talk about it occasionally, but mostly, I don’t really think about that shit.”
Rocky was particularly upbeat on Monday night (May 5), serving as co-chair at the 2025 Met Gala and announcing that he and Rihanna are expecting their third child.
