Def Leppard’s Rick Allen has revealed that he is “still recovering”, more than a month after the drummer was attacked outside a Florida hotel.
Allen was in South Florida to perform a show with his Def Leppard bandmates at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, was attacked on March 13 while taking a smoke break outside the Four Seasons hotel on Fort Lauderdale Beach.
A 19-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident, but no motive was given for the attack. Police say the suspect, who was initially hiding behind a pole, ran toward Allen at full speed, striking him and knocking him backward and slamming his head on the ground and “causing injury.”
The suspect, who is facing a charge of abuse to an elderly or disabled adult without great harm, was arrested that same day and has since bonded out of jail, records show.
Rick Allen opens up on the matter
Allen took to his social media to share a new photo of himself, and he included the following message: “Thank you all so very much for all of your love and support over the last month. I am still recovering and getting my mind and body ready for the upcoming Def Leppard tour. Just wanted to say hi and let you know, There Will Be Rock!”
Rick’s Def Leppard bandmate, guitarist Vivian Campbell, addressed the assault during an appearance on the March 31 episode of SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk”.
He described Allen’s assailant as “some kid on spring break who couldn’t hold his beer or his drugs or whatever,” Vivian added that “Rick will be fine. He’s been through a lot worse, obviously. He’s a resilient human being. He will absolutely be okay.”
A few days after the incident, the 59-year-old Allen, who lost his left arm in a car accident back in 1984, took to his social media to say that he was thankful for all the support he had received from his fans. He also expressed his relief relieved his wife, Lauren, wasn’t with him when the incident occurred, and he revealed that they were “working on recovering in a safe space.”
