More than two months after Rick Allen was attacked in Fort Lauderdale, the Def Leppard drummer is finally speaking out on it.
In an appearance on Good Morning America, the 59-year-old Allen says he was standing outside the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on March 13th when the assault occurred.
“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,” Allen says. “I landed on my backside; hit my head on the pavement. 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.”
Focusing on his strong support system, Allen said, “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,” said Allen.
The man accused of attacking Allen, 19-year-old Max Hartley, also attacked a woman who tried to help Allen and smashed several car windows before he was arrested, according to the Fort Lauderdale P.D. He’s since pleaded not guilty to two counts of battery and four counts of criminal mischief, court records reveal.