Why was ASAP Rocky arrested in Sweden? Breaking down the rapper’s legal troubles
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ASAP Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, has an arrest history that stretches from Europe to the United States. At one point, former President Donald Trump is said to have threatened to start a trade war unless the Grammy-winning rapper was released from a Swedish prison. More recently, he was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport and police raided his home in LA.
In April 2022, Rocky was arrested after landing at LAX from a vacation in Barbados with his pregnant celebrity girlfriend, Rihanna. He was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon in connection with a November 2021 shooting that left an identified man injured, according to the LAPD. The unknown man and Rocky reportedly had an argument in the Hollywood area, and things escalated after the rapper fired a gun before fleeing the scene.
The rapper left jail hours after posting $550,000 bail.
Why was ASAP Rocky arrested in Sweden?
In July 2019, Rocky was arrested in Sweden, charged and found guilty of assault together with two of his bodyguards. On June 30, the rapper and his security team allegedly assaulted a man named Mustafa Jafari on the streets of Stockholm by punching, kicking and slashing until he suffered multiple lacerations and a broken rib.
In addition, Jafari, 19, was hit in the back of the head by a bottle, but the judge ruled that “it could not be established by whom” and thus “influenced the assessment of the seriousness of the offence”.
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Rocky and his team argued during the trial that they were acting in self-defense, but the court disagreed and gave them suspended sentences, meaning they could avoid prison and return to the country as long as they did not commit a similar crime. The three men were in custody for almost a month and the court did not recommend further imprisonment. All defendants were ordered to pay 12,500 kroner, equivalent to 1,310 dollars, to the victim as compensation.
What did Trump do about it?
Rocky’s arrest sparked public outcry and calls to boycott Sweden from several celebrities and artists, including Justin Bieber, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lala Anthony, Meek Mill and Kris Jenner. The legal situation also led to a heated diplomatic crisis between the US and Sweden after then-President Donald Trump tweeted his support for Rocky’s release and warned Sweden of the consequences if he was not allowed to return home.
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“Very disappointed in Prime Minister Stefan Lovfen for his failure to act. Sweden has failed our African-American community in the US,” Trump tweeted in July 2019. “I watched the tapes of ASAP Rocky, and he was stalked and harassed by troublemakers. Treat Americans fair enough. #FreeRocky.”
Recently, Sweden’s long-time Minister of Justice Morgan Johansson revealed that Trump also threatened to impose economic sanctions on the Nordic country if Rocky’s prosecution is not dropped, according to New York Post.
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Is ASAP Rocky Married?
Currently, Rocky is not married but is in a relationship with celebrity singer Rihanna. The couple has known each other since 2013 and decided to go public with their relationship in 2020. On May 19, 2021, the couple announced that they were expecting a child, and Rihanna gave birth to a boy a year later.