Wait, What Is Going On With Kim Kardashian, A$AP Rocky and Jared Kushner?

From ELLE

In case you hadn't heard, A$AP Rocky aka Rakim Mayers is in a precarious situation overseas. The "F**kin' Problems" rapper is detained in a Swedish jail after an altercation in Stockholm, and has reportedly been charged with assault in connection to the incident.

TMZ first reported the news on June 30 and shared a video of the fight between A$AP and his associates, and the two men that followed them. A day later, he was arrested by Swedish police for suspected “gross assault,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“The conditions of the facility are horrific and include 24/7 solitary confinement, restriction of amenities for the most basic of human functions, lack of access to life-sustaining food as well as unsanitary conditions,” John Ehmann, A$AP’s manager, wrote on Instagram. “On the day of his arrest, I spoke with the U.S. Embassy Consult who informed me that his request to visit Rocky was rejected by police, which violates article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, to which Sweden is a signatory. Since then, he has been allowed to visit with a U.S. Embassy Consult and attorney, but only in the presence of Swedish officials. It is troubling and worrisome that the laws are not being applied equally.”

Celebrities and lawmakers—including Kim Kardashian, several members of Congress, and President Donald Trump—have rallied behind A$AP, demanding his release. Here's everything you need to know.

So, what actually happened?

TMZ's first story claimed that,"A$AP Rocky and his crew pummeled a guy in Sweden, leaving him battered and bloodied in the street.” The tabloid posted accompanying video it characterized as, "a vicious attack." The next day, TMZ posted a second video that seemed to show A$AP attempting to defuse the fight, not instigate it.

That second clip was shared to A$AP's Instagram page with the caption, "We don’t know these guys and we didn’t want trouble. They followed us for 4 blocks, and they were slapping girls butts who passed, give me a break."

Then, on July 3, multiple credible publications reported that he had been detained.

"If the investigation is finished and the prosecutor chooses to indict, then they will do that," a spokesperson told People at the time.

Is he in jail?

Yes. A Swedish court reportedly ordered him to be detained as authorities investigated the situation. According to TMZ, "the U.S. Consulate who visited Rocky in the jail reported back, 'Walking into that place was like walking into a toilet.'"

The Washington Post has reported that he spends 23 hours per day in solitary confinement.

Who is trying to help A$AP Rocky?

Everyone, it seems. Among the A-listers on his side are Diddy, Justin Bieber, T.I., 2 Chainz, Kris Jenner, and fellow rapper ASAP Ferg. Several other rappers have also pledged to stay away from Sweden, including Schoolboy Q, Lil Yachty, and Tyler, the Creator.

In addition to celebrities, several members of Congress have also spoken out about what they are calling, "a human rights issue."

In a news conference, Reps. Adriano Espaillat, Hakeem Jeffries, André Carson, and Joaquin Castro demanded the rapper's release, claiming he is being held in, “inhumane conditions."

Castro told reporters that “[Rocky] has been detained for weeks for acting in self-defense and trying to stop any altercation from happening." Espaillat, who spearheaded efforts to free the rapper, called on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to “speak up.”

Kim Kardashian West got involved in the case, reportedly reaching out to President Donald Trump's son-in-law and advisor, Jared Kushner, for help. According to The Washington Post, she's proved to be an effective lobbyist. The president now reportedly wants to help out A$AP.

Kardashian West thanked the Trump administration for its help in working to free the rapper. A State Department official told CNN that the State Department is now closely following the case.

"Thank you @realDonaldTrump, @SecPompeo, Jared Kushner & everyone involved with the efforts to Free ASAP Rocky & his two friends," tweeted Kardashian West. "Your commitment to justice reform is so appreciated." The reality tv star is studying to become a lawyer, and has been doing so in secret for the last year. She is doing a four-year apprenticeship at a law firm in San Francisco, California, where she can take the bar without actually attending law school. According to Vogue, her goal is to take the bar in 2022. “I had to think long and hard about this,” Kim said of her decision to make the career pivot.

Trump has taken a special interest in A$AP

Trump tweeted that he communicated with Kjell Stefan Löfven, who has been Prime Minister of Sweden since October 2014.

"Just spoke to @KanyeWest about his friend A$AP Rocky’s incarceration," Trump wrote. "I will be calling the very talented Prime Minister of Sweden to see what we can do about helping A$AP Rocky. So many people would like to see this quickly resolved!"

The president also said that first lady Melania Trump alerted him to A$AP's arrest in Sweden in the first place. "A$AP Rocky is a situation in Sweden. Sweden is a great country, and they're friends of mine," Trump said when asked about the situation, according to CNN, adding that his administration has "already started" negotiations with the country.

According to CNN:

Trump voiced his support for the rapper once again in a series of tweets on Thursday, as he accused Sweden of, "letting the African American community down.”

"Very disappointed in Prime Minister Stefan Löfven for being unable to act," Trump wrote. "Sweden has let our African American Community down in the United States. I watched the tapes of A$AP Rocky, and he was being followed and harassed by troublemakers. Treat Americans fairly! #FreeRocky."

“Give A$AP Rocky his FREEDOM. We do so much for Sweden but it doesn’t seem to work the other way around," Trump wrote in another tweet. "Sweden should focus on its real crime problem! #FreeRocky.”

According to CBS, Mikael Lindstrom, a spokesman for Löfven, responded by stressing to Trump the "independence" of the Swedish judicial system. "In Sweden everyone is equal before the law," Lindstrom reportedly said. "The Government is not allowed, and will not attempt, to influence the legal proceedings, which are now ongoing."

The outlet also reports that Löfven's press secretary, Toni Eriksson, said the world leaders had a "friendly and respectful" conversation, during which Löfven "made certain to emphasize the complete independence of the Swedish judicial system, prosecutors and courts," emphasizing the fact that the Swedish government can't interfere with legal proceedings.

Karin Olofsdotter, the Swedish ambassador to the United States, responded similarly by explaining that Sweden has separation of powers. "Under Swedish law," she tweeted, "every person has the right to a free and fair legal process regardless of ethnic background, wealth and religious affiliation. That is why Sweden is frequently ranked as one of the top five countries in the world with regard to the rule of law. #asaprocky"

“Prime Minister Stefan Löfven [has] explained and emphasized the complete independence of the Swedish judicial system, prosecutors and courts,” Olofsdotter said in another tweet. “In Sweden everyone is equal before the law. The Government is not allowed, and will not attempt, to influence legal proceedings.”

A$AP has been charged with assault

Swedish prosecutor Daniel Suneson has charged the rapper with assault causing actual bodily harm, in connection to the fight, according to Forbes.

In a statement, Suneson said that he filed charges against A$AP and two others "suspected of assault causing actual bodily harm, having come to the conclusion that the events in question constitute a crime and despite claims of self-defense and provocation."

Suneson added that his decision was informed by, "access to a greater amount of material than that which has previously been available on the internet. In addition to video material, the injured party's statements have been supported by witness statements."

In response, A$AP's defense lawyer Slobodan Jovicic said, "Rakim Mayers feels that he acted in self-defense, he is claiming that he is innocent, and in that perspective he of course is very sad."

"There's been a lot of support from a lot of different people, and Rakim Mayers is of course very thankful for everybody that has reached out," he added. "It's been a very hard time for him."

“I don’t want to call the race card,” A$AP's mother Renee Black told TMZ, “but that’s what it’s looking like.”

“If it walk like a duck and it quack like a duck, then it’s a duck,” she added.

Will A$AP return home anytime soon?

At this point, it's still unclear. He will remain in custody until his trial, and a date has not yet been set. CBS is reporting a trial could begin as soon as Tuesday, and may last just three days.

His punishment could include a fine based on his daily earnings, or a maximum of two years in prison, Annika Collin, a spokeswoman for the Swedish Prosecution Authority, told The New York Times.

A Change.org petition called "#JusticeForRocky Demand that Rocky be released from Swedish Officials," is urging for the rapper’s release and has been signed over 631,000 times.

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