Rihanna is trying to stay optimistic as boyfriend A$AP Rocky heads to trial on gun charges, but insiders reveal that she’s secretly terrified that he could wind up serving jail time and leave her fending for her two kids alone.

“They have been promised by their lawyers that he won’t do any time, but the reality is anything is possible,” a source exclusively tells In Touch. “It’s the American justice system, so Rihanna is preparing herself for the worst.”

A$AP Rocky (real name: Rakim Mayers) was arrested on April 20, 2022, at Los Angeles International Airport in connection to a shooting that took place in November 2021, according to NBC News. The rapper, 36, was arriving on a private plane from his Barbados vacation with his then-pregnant girlfriend Rihanna, 36, when he was taken into custody. Rihanna and A$AP were expecting baby No. 1 at the time. His bail was set at $550,000 and was later released on bond that same day.

Rocky had been under investigation by the LAPD for his involvement in a shooting near Vista Del Mar and Selma Ave. around 10:20 p.m. on November 6, 2021. He was accused of shooting his former friend A$AP Relli (real name: Terell Ephron) in a Hollywood hotel.

The shooting victim survived the incident. He later told police that the rapper was walking with two others when he approached the victim with a handgun on the street and opened fire. According to the police report, the victim claimed he believed one of the bullets grazed his left hand. The victim also alleged the “Praise the Lord” artist shot at him three to four more times.

An investigation was launched by the Los Angeles Police Department, which led to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filing two felony counts of assault with a semi-automatic weapon against Rocky. Rocky pleaded not guilty to all charges. The New York native faces up to 24 years in prison if convicted on all charges, according to CBS News. The criminal trial is scheduled for January 21, 2025.

The source says Rocky’s ongoing legal battle is “one of the reasons” he and Rihanna had been “living it up so much and traveling all over the world his past year,” adding, “They’re both very aware that the worst-case scenario could happen, and he could end up behind bars for the next decade.”

“Rihanna has every intention of standing by him no matter what happens, but of course it’s horrible to think about being separated from him,” the source says. “Not to mention the boys are so attached to their daddy, having to suddenly break that bond and try and explain to them why he’s going away is too heartbreaking to even consider.”

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are proud parents of two children. The couple welcomed their first child, a son named RZA Athelston Mayers, in May 2022. Their family grew again in August 2023, when the Barbados-born singer gave birth to their second child, Riot Rose Mayers.

According to the insider, the A-listers “are trying not to think of the worst happening,” but admitted there’s “no denying this is hanging over their heads and keeping them awake at night. It’s a nightmare.”

A$AP Rocky is also dealing with two civil lawsuits filed by A$AP Relli. Just a week before A$AP Rocky’s August 2022 court date, A$AP Relli issued a statement that his lawyers shared with Rolling Stone.

“Unbeknownst to Mr. Ephron, A$AP Rocky was not just planning for a conversation and came armed with a semi-automatic handgun,” Relli claimed on August 11, 2022. “After arriving at the location, a conversation ensued whereby without provocation, warning, or any justification, A$AP Rocky produced the handgun and intentionally fired multiple shots at Mr. Ephron.”

Rocky’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, spoke publicly about the lawsuit to TMZ and argued that any damages were the result of third parties outside of his control. He accused Relli of attempted extortion. “Rocky didn’t commit a crime,” Joe told the oulet in September 2023. “It was an extortion attempt by a former associate, who threatened to make false criminal accusations if Rocky didn’t pay him.”

Rocky denied all allegations of wrongdoing. Both cases are ongoing.