By Stefanie Dazio
Los Angeles: Rapper A$AP Rocky has been taken into custody at Los Angeles International Airport in connection with a shooting in Hollywood last year, authorities said.
The performer, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, was detained on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement on Wednesday, local time.
Rihanna, left, and ASAP Rocky attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala last year.Credit: AP
Mayers, 33, was wanted in connected with a November 6, 2021 shooting after an argument escalated, authorities said. He is accused of firing a handgun at an acquaintance, who sustained a minor injury and later sought medical treatment, according to police.
Mayers’ RCA Records publicist and attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Just days earlier Mayers had been photographed in Barbados with Rihanna, his partner. The high-profile celebrity couple announced in January that they were expecting their first child together.
Mayers released his last studio album four years ago and, like Rihanna, has become as known for fashion trendsetting as he is for music. He was the focus of international attention in 2019 after being detained for nearly a month in Sweden following a street brawl. He was found guilty of assault and given a “conditional sentence” that meant no additional time in jail.
AP with Ryan Pearson