Renee Black, the mother of hip-hop star A$AP Rocky, says she is “very grateful” for President Donald Trump’s help in trying to get her son released from a Swedish jail.
“I’m grateful, very grateful, that the president even considered approaching it in the manner that he did,” Black said Monday in an interview with Expressen TV.
Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, has been behind bars while Swedish police investigate the fight in Stockholm he allegedly was in before appearing at a music festival. Videos published on social media appear to show a person being violently thrown onto the ground by Rocky. A defense lawyer has said it was self-defense.
“It was an unnecessary case to begin with,” the rapper’s mother added. “Everything is on video. They tried to avoid it, but they kept being followed as well as harassed.”
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On Friday, a Swedish court ruled that Rocky could be detained for at least another week.
President Trump said he spoke with Sweden’s prime minister Saturday about the rapper and “offered to personally vouch for his bail.”
The president tweeted that during “a very good call” with Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, he also “assured him that A$AP was not a flight risk.”
He was urged on by first lady Melania Trump and celebrities including Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West to help with the situation. Political commentator CJ Pearson has also called for the rapper’s release.
While not an option in Sweden, bail is common in the United States. A defendant is allowed to post an amount of money set by the court to guarantee the defendant will appear for trial if he or she is freed pending those proceedings.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.