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 The post Rick Allen says he is still traumatized by the assault in Florida appeared first on Rock and Roll Garage.