FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — One week after being attacked outside of a Fort Lauderdale hotel, allegedly by a 19-year-old Avon man, Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen has posted a message to fans on his social media platforms.
Pictured wearing a Fort Lauderdale Police t-shirt, the 59-year-old Allen says he is focused on healing. "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. We are focusing on healing for everyone involved," Allen wrote.
According to a report from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, the incident happened outside of the Four Seasons Hotel's valet area just after midnight on March 13. While Allen was having a cigarette, the report states that Max Hartley watched him from behind a pole. Police say Hartley then got a running start and knocked the one-armed Allen backwards, causing him to hit his head on the ground.
Allen lost his arm in a 1984 traffic accident in England.
Police say a woman tried to assist Allen, but was also knocked down by Hartley, who continued to strike her while she was on the ground. The woman attempted to flee into the hotel lobby, but was grabbed by the hair by Hartley and dragged back outside to the sidewalk. According to officers, Hartley then fled the scene, going to the nearby Conrad hotel, where he damaged the windows of three vehicles in the parking garage. Police say Hartley then caused damage to tables, chairs, and a window at a nearby restaurant before finally being subdued by two of the restaurant's employees.
One of the arresting officers stated Hartley was "very intoxicated and not responding to questions or commands."
Hartley was charged with two counts of battery, four counts of criminal mischief, and a count of abusing an elderly or disabled adult. Records show Hartley is a 2022 graduate of St. Ignatius High School, where he played football and lacrosse for the Wildcats.
Allen and Def Leppard had just played a concert with Motley Crue the night before the assault in Florida. Def Leppard was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
"We ask you to join us in our effort to move from confusion and shock to compassion and empathy," Allen added in his post. "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."