A$AP Relli told a judge he’s out $500,000 in legal fees and now has no lawyer as he continues his defamation battle against A$AP Rocky.
A$AP Relli is now going toe-to-toe with the legal system solo after burning through half a million dollars on lawyers in his ongoing defamation battle with A$AP Rocky, a case that could leave him owing tens of thousands more if he loses.
During a tense hearing Monday at the downtown Los Angeles courthouse, Judge Randolph M. Hammock urged Relli to rethink his lawsuit before it backfires financially.
“I would urge you to contact the other side and see if a deal can be made,” the judge said, according to Rolling Stone. “Maybe in exchange for dismissing the lawsuit, they’ll drop their claim for fees. … Maybe it’s time to cut your losses.”
Relli, who appeared by phone without legal representation, told the court he’s already sunk over $500,000 into the case. The defamation suit stems from a 2021 incident in Hollywood where Relli accused Rocky of shooting him with a semiautomatic weapon.
Rocky denied the claim and was acquitted in February 2025 after a three-week criminal trial. Jurors heard testimony that the firearm used was a movie prop loaded with blanks. Audio recordings presented in court captured Relli allegedly demanding $30 million from Rocky and offering to disappear “on an island” if paid.
After the not guilty verdict, Rocky leapt over the courtroom barrier to hug his partner Rihanna, who had attended parts of the trial.
Relli’s defamation suit, filed in 2023, claims Rocky and his attorney Joe Tacopina painted him as a liar and extortionist in public statements.
Rocky’s legal team is now pushing to have the case dismissed under California’s anti-SLAPP statute, which protects free speech.
If successful, Relli could be on the hook for Rocky’s legal fees—estimated at around $50,000. A separate civil assault case filed by Relli against Rocky is scheduled for trial in January.
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