Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen ‘working on recovering in a safe space’ after violent attack
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Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen described feeling “confusion and shock” after allegedly being attacked in Florida last week.
Allen, 59, thanked fans for their support a week after the violent encounter, which police say involved a 19-year-old knocking the musician to the ground, injuring his head.
“My wife Lauren was thankfully not with me at the time of the incident,” Allen wrote in an Instagram post Sunday night. “We are together now, and working on recovering in a safe space. We are focusing on healing for everyone involved.”
Allen lost his left arm following a 1984 car crash. He returned to drumming in 1986.
The suspect in last week’s attack, Max Hartley, was arrested after he allegedly threw the drummer to the ground at the Four Seasons hotel in Fort Lauderdale on March 13, according to ABC News. He is accused as well of attacking a woman who attempted to intervene. The charges against Hartley include four counts of criminal mischief and counts of misdemeanor battery and aggravated battery.
“We ask you to join us in our effort to move from confusion and shock to compassion and empathy,” Allen wrote.
“We understand this act of violence can be triggering for so many people. 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.”
Def Leppard, which debuted in England in 1976, is known for hits including “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Love Bites.” The band performed at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in nearby Hollywood, Fla., the night before the attack.
