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Just over a week after A$AP Rocky (born Rakim Mayers) was found not guilty on all counts in his 2021 felony shooting case, A$AP Relli (born Terell Ephron) is moving forward with his civil lawsuit against the A$AP Mob frontman.
On Wednesday (Feb. 26), Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge William Fahey lifted a hold on Relli’s assault and battery case against Rocky and set a trial date of Jan. 12, 2026, according to Rolling Stone.
Relli’s lawyer, Melisa Mikhail, reportedly appeared virtually at the hearing and said that her client had no plans of dropping the lawsuit while citing the lower burden of proof in a civil versus criminal court.
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“We intend to continue litigating this case,” Mikail said. “The standard in a criminal case is much higher than the preponderance of the evidence standard in a civil matter. We still believe that our claims have merit, and we intend on fully litigating them.”
During the hearing, Rocky’s civil attorney James Sargent reportedly argued that “there’s no longer a basis” for the case. “Mr. Ephron testified in the criminal case as to the facts and circumstances,” Sargent said. “The jury’s acquittal speaks volumes as to how they valued that testimonial evidence.”
The next hearing in the civil lawsuit — which was originally filed in 2022 — is scheduled for May 28. Billboard has reached out to attorneys for both Relli and Rocky for comment.
In both the criminal and civil cases, Rocky is accused of firing a weapon at Relli following a heated confrontation near a Hollywood hotel on Nov. 6, 2021. In the criminal trial, Relli maintained that he was grazed by gunfire, but Tacopina argued that the weapon was in fact a prop gun filled with blanks.
Rocky, who had faced two felony counts of assault with a firearm and a maximum of 24 years in prison in the criminal case, was acquitted by a jury on Feb. 18. Upon the reading of the verdict, the Harlem rapper embraced his attorney and then dove into the gallery to celebrate with his partner, Rihanna. The rapper had earlier turned down a final plea deal ahead of trial that would have resulted in a 180-day jail sentence.
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Ever since the Clippers moved to Los Angeles from San Diego in 1984, there has been a bitter rivalry between the Clips and Lakers, an NBA team that has called L.A. home since 1960. Although the Lakers have historically been the better team, the Clippers are making smarter and more aggressive moves to claim the crown in “The City of Angels.”
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And on Friday, Feb. 28, the No. 6-seed Clippers take on the No. 4-seed Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California in an NBA rivalry game. If you’re looking to catch all of the hoops action — with James Harden and Kawhi Leonard on the Clippers, and LeBron James and Luka Doncic on the Lakers — Sling TV is the best place to stream the game online.
When Does Clippers vs. Lakers Game Start?
The Clippers vs. Lakers game broadcasts live, with tip-off at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The NBA game broadcasts on ESPN, which is available on Sling TV.
Where to Watch Clippers vs. Lakers Online
Since the L.A. Clippers vs. L.A. Lakers game broadcasts on ESPN, it also livestreams on Sling Orange. Keep reading for more details on how cord-cutters can watch the Clippers-Lakers game online with Sling.
How to Watch Clippers vs. Lakers with Sling TV
A subscription to Sling Orange — which comes with ESPN — gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, starting at $23 for the first month of service and $45.99 per month afterwards.
You can watch cable networks, including Disney Channel, ESPN2, Lifetime, AMC, A&E, Bravo, BET, Cartoon Network, Fuse, CNN, Food Network, HGTV, IFC, TNT, TBS, Travel Channel, Vice and many others.
Please note: Prices and channel availability depends on your local TV market. You can learn more about Sling TV here.
Which Celebrities Are Making Appearances During Clippers vs. Lakers?
Since the game is at Crypto.com Arena, the home of the L.A. Lakers, it’s likely there would be a number of celebrities and recording artists — such as Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Adele, Flea, Anthony Kiedis, Quavo and others — in attendance during a Friday night game. Tune in to Sling TV to find out who’s sitting courtside on celebrity row.
Starting at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, the L.A. Clippers vs. L.A. Lakers game airs on ESPN, while it’s also available to livestream on Sling TV on Friday, Feb. 28.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
One of Chappell Roan‘s most iconic looks was hot to go at a recent auction for Los Angeles wildfire relief, with the star’s quintessential blue-sequined marching band unitard pulling in tens of thousands of dollars for the cause at Give a Frock’s charity benefit. As announced on Instagram by Julien’s Auctions on Tuesday (Feb. 25), […]
Madison Beer, Kali Uchis, Summer Walker, Tanner Adell and more join Jennie, aespa, Gracie Abrams at the 2025 Billboard Women in Music. Keep watching to see who else is part of the lineup for this year! Narrator: This year, get ready for the biggest Billboard Women in Music. It’s all happening live March 29 at […]
In today’s episode of ‘Billboard Unfiltered,’ Billboard staffers Kyle Denis, Damien Scott, Carl Lamarre and Trevor Anderson break down Drake tying with Taylor Swift & Jay-Z on the Billboard 200 with ‘$ome $exy $ongs 4 U,’ if MCs should take J.Cole seriously, Ye sharing an alleged DM of The Game DMing Tina Knowles, Rolling Stone’s worst song on Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller,’ the 15 up and coming hip-hop, African & R&B artists to watch in 2025 and more!
Carl Lamarre:
Yo yo. What’s going on, y’all, welcome to a fresh episode of Billboard Unfiltered, gentlemen!
Kyle Denis:
Yo yo.
Carl Lamarre:
What it do, what it do, what it do, what it do? How y’all feeling?
Trevor Anderson:
You a little high today?
Carl Lamarre:
I’m on my high horse.
Trevor Anderson:
Clearly!
Damien Scott:
We all know why.
Carl Lamarre:
We all know why!
Kyle Denis:
A high horse? Uh-oh, why?
Carl Lamarre:
The reason why-
Kyle Denis:
Something happened?
Carl Lamarre:
Huh?
Kyle Denis:
Something happened?
Carl Lamarre:
Something monumental will happen.
Kyle Denis:
Oh, put me on. What happened?
Trevor Anderson:
Monumental?
Carl Lamarre:
Potentially, I’m not gonna say historic, but we’re on the doors of something, well, on the steps of some history-making sh–. I gotta say we’re gonna start this off with brother Aubrey Graham notched-
Damien Scott:
Surprise, surprise.
Carl Lamarre:
Notched number 14.
Trevor Anderson:
Come on, notch?
Carl Lamarre:
Notch. Come on. I took some advanced classes back in the day. Brother Aubrey and PARTYNEXTDOOR notched a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, ‘$ome $exy $ongs 4 U.’ 246,000 album equivalent units, marking number 14 for Mr. Aubrey Graham, tying him with Jay-Z and Taylor Swift for the most No. 1s for soloists still trailing, of course, The Beatles with 19.
Kyle Denis;
Come on.
Trevor Anderson:
Hey, they got the AI song a few years ago, a lil AI album.
Carl Lamarre:
Still got some work to do. But you know, first off, of course, Mr. PARTYNEXTDOOR, shout out to PARTY getting his first No. 1 album.
Kyle Denis:
Absolutely.
Damien Scott:
This is his biggest first week, right?
Carl Lamarre:
Biggest first week.
Keep watching for more!
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Source: Andrew Harnik / Getty
Donald Trump recently dropped a wild AI-generated video that’s got everyone scratching their heads. The clip supposedly shows the “future of Gaza,” but it’s packed with bizarre scenes that seem totally out of touch with reality.
Trump has posted a sinister AI video of his future for ‘Riviera’ Gaza.
It needs to be seen to be believed:
Trump statues; Musk dancing; Trump & Netanyahu sun bathing & drinking cocktails.
Monsters rejoicing in their genocide & ethnic cleansing.
It is truly racist fascism. pic.twitter.com/OJhRyqz8Ob
— Howard Beckett (@BeckettUnite) February 26, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
In it, you’ve got a sunbathing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chilling poolside with Trump, sipping cocktails like they’re on vacation. Meanwhile, Hamas militants are dancing in bikinis, Teslas are cruising the streets, and even Elon Musk is tossing cash at people. To top it off, the soundtrack features the odd lyrics, “Donald Trump will set you free, bringing the life for all to see, no more tunnels, no more fear, Trump Gaza is finally here.”
The video is full of over-the-top, almost surreal imagery – think skyscrapers, beach scenes, and clubbing with Trump hitting the dance floor. It all seems too weird and out of place, especially given the real-life issues going on in Gaza. Many people online are calling out the video for making light of a serious, ongoing situation, with some claiming it’s an insensitive way to portray the region’s future.
It’s unclear what Trump was really trying to say with this strange post, but it’s certainly raised some eyebrows. The use of AI to show a “post-conflict” world in Gaza, with political figures looking carefree, doesn’t sit well with many who feel the video oversimplifies or even mocks the real struggles in the area.
Shane Gillis is pumped to host Saturday Night Live for the second time this weekend, but the cast members are still in recovery. In a new promo for the upcoming episode, Gillis walks backstage at Studio 8H with cast member Ashley Padilla, who asks how the comedian is feeling about his upcoming hosting gig. “I’m […]
The Lumineers’ Automatic debuts in the top 10 of multiple Billboard charts dated March 1, paced by its No. 2 starts on the Top Rock Albums and Americana/Folk Albums tallies. In the week ending Feb. 20, Automatic, The Lumineers’ fifth studio album, starts with 29,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S., according to Luminate. […]
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Source: Tom Williams / Getty / Jasmine Crockett
Democratic Congresswoman and political star Jasmine Crockett kept it real when asked what she would say if she had the opportunity to speak with Elon Musk directly.
Crockett spoke for many Americans who are no fans of Donald Trump, especially Elon Musk, following the ridiculously mass firings within the federal government due to federal budget cuts made by Musk’s DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency).
In a video that has since gone viral on X, formerly Twitter, Crockett was asked “”If you could speak directly to Elon Musk, what would you say?”
Without any hesitation, Crockett responded, “F*** off.”
The Texas politician has been making a name for herself for the verbal takedowns of her MAGA rivals like Marjorie Taylor Green, Nancy Mace, Trump, and now Musk.
As expected, many appreciated Crockett for saying what many would love to tell the Tesla chief to his face.
“Patriot. She has more cojones than every single republican in congress,” one user on X said.
Another user added, “i’m sorry but my favorite thing about her is that she doesn’t give a singular f**k.
Writer and director Matthew A. Cherry echoed many folks’ sentiments in his post on X, saying, “I’d vote for her.”
But not everyone is happy with Crockett’s comments. “Jasmine Crockett tells Elon Musk he should “f*** off.” Is this how elected representatives should talk?” the account Road to The Election asked on X.
That’s rich when Donald Trump constantly goes off the rails during his rants; oops, we mean speeches and curses.
Anyway, Jasmine Crockett’s energy towards Donald Trump and the MAGA crew is what’s needed, so we hope she doesn’t change.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
To launch the new series Billboard Live, Isaiah Falls exclusively performs “Diva,” “Butterflies” and an unreleased track. He also sits down with Billboard’s Tetris Kelly to chat about the inspiration behind his music and more!
Isaiah Falls:How are y’all doing? My name is Isaiah Falls, and we’re at Billboard Live. I’m here with The lovers, Luxury Lane, and we’re going to perform a few songs for y’all, so let’s get it.
Isaiah Falls:[Sings “Diva”]
It’s big love over here baby. Shout-out to all my lovers out there. If you know this s–t, vibe with me. We good? Y’all chillin’, that s–t felt amazing man. So my name is Isaiah Falls, and we’re here at Billboard Live. Big shout-out to Billboard. Thank y’all for having us for real. We gon’ get into this next song, it’s one of my favorite songs to perform. This song right here is called “Butterflies.” Man, big shout-out to my sister, Joyce Wright, she couldn’t be here today, but we gon’ rock out, so y’all ready? Let’s vibe.
Isaiah Falls:[Sings “Butterflies”]
Tetris Kelly:What’s up, man? Thank you for bringing the swag to Billboard, man. If i could just have, like, an ounce of that, I would be doing pretty good.
I appreciate that, man. Thank you, brother, I appreciate it for real.
But let’s talk about your swag in general. Listening to your music and watching your performance like in “Diva,” you say, “You know i’m not ashamed to love my b—h.” How are you with that in life and in music?
Keep watching for more!