Rick Allen has broken his silence on the assault he suffered in Florida.
Nearly one week after being assaulted outside the Four Seasons Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the Def Leppard drummer has spoken out on the incident.
Rick took to Twitter on Sunday to thank fans for their “overwhelming support” following the attack, insisting that “your love and prayers are truly helping” with his recovery.
“My wife Lauren was thankfully not with me at the time of the incident. We are together now, and working on recovering in a safe space,” the musician added. “We are focusing on healing for everyone involved. We ask you to join us in our effort to move from confusion and shock to compassion and empathy.”
He continued that “this act of violence can be triggering for so many people”.
The drummer was attacked by 19-year-old Max Hartley while Rick was smoking a cigarette by the valet stand outside his Florida hotel, according to police records obtained by Fox News. The 19-year-old allegedly knocked Rick over, whereupon Rick’s head hit the ground, causing injuries.
A woman reportedly came to Rick’s defence upon witnessing the attack, but the teenager knocked her to the ground as well and began repeatedly striking her. When she tried to run inside the hotel, he followed her and pulled her back outside by her hair.
Rick concluded his string of tweets on behalf of himself and his wife, “To all of the fans, veterans, and first responders in our global community we are thinking of you all. Together with love, we can all get through these difficult times.”
