Classic Rock
Rick Allen says he is still traumatized by the assault in Florida
The Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen was assaulted in Florida in 2023 while taking a smoke outside the Four Seasons Hotel on Fort Lauderdale Beach. He was attacked by a 19-year-old man, but no motive was given for the aggression.
Police said that the man was hiding behind a pole, ran toward the drummer at full speed, struck him, and knocked him backward, causing his head to slam on the ground. The suspect was arrested the same day but was later released on bond. He was reportedly highly intoxicated at the time and caused other disturbances in the same area.
In a new interview with Eddie Trunk, Rick Allen said he is still traumatized by what happened and is trying to put these feelings behind him.
Rick Allen says he is still traumatized by the assault in Florida
“And that whole thing is kind of ongoing, when I got beaten up outside the hotel [there]. So I’ve been trying to deal with that the best that I can, and really I just needed to take a break from some of the side projects that I was busy with, just so I could spend more time at home. So, that’s been a real challenge for me.”
“Hopefully I can put it all behind me and I can just kind of get back to as normal as I could possibly be given the circumstances. But that was very traumatic for me, and, yeah, it’s been difficult. But hopefully I can put it behind me soon. I did go out and I did a cruise, and I realized that I was finding it difficult to be around a lot of people like that.”
“And so I decided, ‘You know what, Rick? Don’t try and bite off more than you can chew. Just deal with this, deal with what’s in front of you. Spend as much time as you need to at home.’ And I’m just hoping, as I say, that I can put it behind me… I’d love to get back to doing some of my side projects, particularly the art. And let’s hope I can soon,” Rick Allen said (Transcribed by Blabbermouth).
Next Def Leppard tour dates
May
- 15 – San Juan, Puerto Rico – Coliseo de Puerto Rico
- 17 – Ocean City, MD – Boardwalk Rock 2025
June
- 19 – Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest
- 21 – Thackerville, OK – Lucas Oil Live at WinStar World Casino and Resort
- 23 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
- 25 – Birmingham, AL – Coca-Cola Amphitheater
- 28 – Atlantic City, NJ – Borgata Event Center
July
- 1 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater
- 3 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
- 6 – Québec, Canada – FEQ 2025
- 9 – Winnipeg, Canada – Princess Auto Stadium
- 10-13 – Craven, Canada – Country Thunder Craven 2025
- 11 – Edmonton, Canada – Rockin’ Thunder
- 16 – Ottawa, Canada – Ottawa Blues Festival 2025
- 18 – Mount Pleasant, MI – Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
- 20 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
- 22 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
- 25 – St. John’s, Canada – Churchill Park Music Festival 2025
August
- 9 – Placer County, CA – The Venue at Thunder Valley
- 12 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
- 14 – Des Moines, IA – Iowa State Fair Grandstand
- 16 – Springfield, IL – Illinois State Fair 2025
- 20 – Highland, CA – Yaamava’ Theater
- 26 – St. Paul, MN – Minnesota State Fair 2025
- 29 – Hollywood, FL – Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
- 31 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
October
- 11 – Gary, IN – Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana
November
- 7-9 – Riviera Maya, Mexico – Rock the Tides
