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A$AP Rocky and Rihanna's marital status caused some confusion in a Los Angeles courtroom this week.
On Wednesday, January 15, Rocky's attorney Joe Tacopina attended a preliminary hearing before jury selection for the rapper's criminal trial begins next week. During the hearing, Judge Mark S. Arnold asked Tacopina how he should refer to the "Lift Me Up" singer when speaking about her to potential jurors. After Tacopina said RiRi is Rocky's "common-law wife," the prosecution objected.
“If they’re not legally married, we prefer that she not be referred to as his wife and that she is just referred to as his significant other or mother of his children," a lawyer for the state said.
"Are they legally married anywhere?” Judge Arnold asked.
“I don’t know, but she’s certainly his common-law wife," Tacopina replied.
It's not clear whether or not Rihanna will attend her baby daddy's upcoming trial, but Rocky will definitely be there. The New York rapper was ordered to appear for jury selection on Tuesday as the trial over his felony assault charges begins. Rocky pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. He was accused of firing a gun at his former friend A$AP Relli during an argument in Hollywood in 2021. If convicted, he faces up to 24 years in prison.
“He’s confident and he’s ready to go," Tacopina told Rolling Stone. "He believes in justice, and he believes this is going to work out for him. The case against Rocky is fundamentally weak. It relies on testimony from people who are not credible. I believe the defense is very, very strong.”
Judge Arnold ultimately decided that Rihanna should be referred to as his "significant other" if the couple were not legally married in any state. The debate in the courtroom slightly mirrors the speculation fans have had about Rihanna and A$AP Rocky's relationship since they seemingly got engaged in Rocky's music video for "D.M.B." in 2022. Since then, the couple has popped out two kids, RZA and Riot. They've expressed their love for one another and have claimed they are best friends, but they've never publicly indicated that they are, or plan to be, husband and wife.