Rick Allen is grateful for the support he’s received after being assaulted outside of a Florida hotel last week.
As previously reported, Allen was standing near the valet area at the Four Seasons in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. smoking a cigarette. He was in town for a March 12 show with Def Leppard at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
Per a police report from the incident, Allen was tackled to the ground by a 19-year-old man named Max Edward Hartley. This resulted in Allen hitting his head on the ground. Hartley then attacked a women who emerged from the hotel to help Allen. He was later arrested at a nearby hotel for breaking car windows. Hartley was charged with a number of crimes, including abusing an elderly or disabled adult.
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Allen said in a statement via Twitter, “Thank you everyone for your overwhelming support. Your love and prayers are truly helping. 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.”
(1/3) Thank you everyone for your overwhelming support. Your love and prayers are truly helping. 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. pic.twitter.com/e8mIbSwFiu
— Rick Allen (@rickallenlive) March 19, 2023
He continued, “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. We understand this act of violence can be triggering for so many people.”
(2/3) 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. We understand this act of violence can be triggering for so many people.
— Rick Allen (@rickallenlive) March 19, 2023
Allen concluded, “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.”
(3/3) 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.
Rick Allen & Lauren Monroe
— Rick Allen (@rickallenlive) March 19, 2023
Allen will hopefully have enough time to recover before heading back on tour with Def Leppard. The band’s 2023 world tour with Motley Crue picks up again on May 22 in their hometown of Sheffield, England. The tour will spend the majority of the summer in Europe before returning stateside for shows in August. A full list of tour dates can be found at DefLeppard.com.
