Rick Allen is speaking out for the first time following being assaulted outside of a hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. in March.
In an exclusive interview with Good Morning America (GMA), the Def Leppard drummer details the attack itself. He said, “I heard a couple of steps and then I just saw this [flash] and the next thing I knew was I was on the ground. I landed on my backside… hit my head on the pavement.”
Allen details that once he had been knocked to the ground, he raised his hand up toward his attacker. He told him, “I am no threat to you.” He added, “I don’t think he knew who I was, but he must have seen that I wasn’t a threat because, you know, I’ve only got one arm.”
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As previously reported, Allen’s attacker was a 19-year-old man named Max Edward Hartley. After attacking Allen outside of the Four Seasons in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Hartley was later arrested at a nearby hotel for breaking car windows. He was charged with a number of crimes, including abusing an elderly or disabled adult. GMA notes Hartley was charged with “two counts of battery and four counts of criminal mischief.” Hartley has pleaded not guilty to all six charges.
Allen, of course, is no stranger to trauma. The drummer infamously lost his left arm in 1984 following a car crash. He said in the aftermath of the attack, “I immediately just went to that place of just feeling grateful for the fact that I have an amazing wife and an incredible family and I just started thanking a higher power for the fact that I’m still here.”
Allen is back on the road with Def Leppard who are currently on tour in Europe with Mötley Crüe. Their show tonight (May 22) takes place at Bramall Lane in Def Leppard’s hometown of Sheffield, England. A full list of upcoming tour dates can be found at DefLeppard.com.
