Rick Allen, the drummer for the legendary rock band Def Leppard, recently articulated that narrative. He courageously shared the powerful story of how he was randomly jumped and attacked while visiting Florida earlier this year. At 61 years old, Allen faced a shocking incident that has left lasting emotional scars.
The physical attack in front of the Four Seasons Hotel in Fort Lauderdale in March 2023. Instead, Allen was firing up a celebratory smoke on the peaceful auto drop-off area. Out of nowhere, a 19-year-old tourist from Ohio snuck up behind him and knocked him to the ground. As Allen fell, he broke his head, causing major physical and emotional trauma to his being.
Authorities responded quickly, charging the alleged attacker with two counts of battery, four counts of criminal mischief, and abusing an elderly or disabled adult. In another horrifying turn, the suspect raped a woman who came to assist Allen after the attack. He choked her, threw her in his car, and yanked her out of the hotel by her hair.
In an interview with Good Morning America, Allen discussed the aftermath of the attack, stating, “I’ve been going through some challenging times, kind of related to what happened in Florida.” He shared how much the experience has been haunting him, but made it clear that he’s hellbent on not looking back.
“I immediately just went to that place of just feeling grateful for the fact that I have an amazing wife and an incredible family. I just started just thanking a higher power for the fact that I’m still here.” – Rick Allen
Though he’s still working through his struggles, Allen is deeply focused on his music career. He toured with Def Leppard on its stadium tour last summer and is scheduled to do so again this May. As the drummer works through the challenges that have arisen from this unforeseen occurrence, his resilience is palpable.
Reflecting on the attack, Allen shared, “I don’t think he knew who I was, but he must’ve seen that I wasn’t a threat because, you know, I’ve only got one arm.” This comment is a testament to the nuance of his predicament, particularly in light of his past. Allen’s left arm was entirely amputated in a fiery car accident in January of ’85.
The emotional, health and financial toll of the racially motivated attack has taken a devastating toll. Allen confessed that, “That’s been a big struggle for me.” For his part, he said he is hopeful that someday he’ll be able to move on from the traumatic event. “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,” he added.
“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 at home.”
As Allen meditates on what happened and still feels shock waves from the attack, his mind stays on his family and sharing music. Having his supporters and fans all rooting for his best self have been incredibly important in how he is able to be on his recovery path.