AceShowbiz - Rick Allen has broken his silence nearly a week after he was attacked by a teenager in Florida. In a statement issued on Sunday, March 19, the Def Leppard drummer expressed his gratitude for the support and well wishes after he was violently assaulted last week.

"Thank you everyone for your overwhelming support. Your love and prayers are truly helping," he said in the statement provided to ABC News. "My wife Lauren [Monroe] was thankfully not with me at the time of the incident. We are together now, and working on recovering in a safe space."

As he stated that they are focused on "healing for everyone involved," the 59-year-old asked "you to join us in our effort to move from confusion and shock to compassion and empathy." He continued, "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."

On Monday, March 13, Rick was smoking cigarette outside the Four Seasons Hotel in Fort Lauderdale Beach, South Florida when Max Hartley, a 19-year-old Ohio resident visiting Florida for Spring Break, was hiding behind a pole. The man then ran at the drummer at full speed and struck Rick, causing him to fall backward and hit his head on the ground. Rick suffered a head injury as the result of the attack.

A woman came out to help Rick, but the teen also attacked the woman. Max then fled to another hotel nearby, but was later arrested after security at the Conrad hotel found him allegedly damaging numerous cars in their parking garage. He was charged with two counts of battery, four counts of criminal mischief and a count of abusing an elderly or disabled adult. He was released after posting bail on Tuesday.

The night before the attack, Rick was performing at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel with Def Leppard members. The band has been on tour, co-headlining with Motley Crue.