A$AP Relli cleared a major legal obstacle in his defamation case against attorney Joe Tacopina.
Relli initially lost his civil lawsuit against his one-time friend and collaborator, A$AP Rocky. But after filing a new defamation claim in early September, he’s now seeing progress. Los Angeles County Judge Randolph M. Hammock, who had earlier warned Relli about pursuing the case, sided with him last week by denying Tacopina’s attempt to have it dismissed.
Tacopina, who represented A$AP Rocky in his assault trial, came under fire for calling Relli a “liar” and “gold digger” during media appearances. His legal team argued that those remarks were protected under California’s anti-SLAPP statute, which shields speech connected to public issues and legal proceedings. However, Judge Hammock ruled that the attorney’s comments went beyond the courtroom.
“Those would be protected by the litigation privilege,” Hammock said, according to Courthouse News Service. “But the statements that Mr. Ephron is making were not made in that context. This was spin — a lawyer spinning for his client.”
The judge determined that Tacopina’s remarks were meant to sway public opinion, not to advance the case in court. That distinction allowed Relli’s defamation suit to proceed.
A jury trial is currently set for January 2026.