LA judge urges AAP Relli to reconsider defamation suit vs AAP Rocky

A Los Angeles judge on Monday urged Terell Ephron, who uses the stage name AAP Relli, to reconsider pursuing a defamation lawsuit against rapper Rakim Mayers, known as AAP Rocky, warning that continuing the case could leave Ephron on the hook for substantial legal fees. The admonition came during a telephone hearing in downtown Los Angeles before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Randolph M. Hammock.

Ephron, representing himself after his prior law firm withdrew, told the court he has spent more than $500,000 on legal fees and is now proceeding without counsel. He filed the defamation case in 2023 against Mayers and Mayers lawyer Joe Tacopina, alleging public statements unfairly painted him as a liar and an extortionist after a 2021 confrontation in Hollywood in which Ephron accused Mayers of shooting him.

Judge Hammock urged Ephron to engage the other side about a possible settlement, suggesting that dismissing the lawsuit might prompt Mayers to drop any claim for attorneys fees. The judge cautioned that Mayers has filed an anti-SLAPP motion, a mechanism under California law that allows defendants to challenge lawsuits alleged to chill free speech on matters of public...