According to eyewitnesses, Lee — sitting at the same table as Diddy — jawed at Rock as he made his way toward the Bad Boy CEO, with whom he was supposed to present the show’s final performance. It wasn’t clear exactly what Lee said to Rock, but apparently after his words, Rock slapped the drummer, according to eyewitnesses. Lee, one eyewitness said, attempted to fight back but, before he was able to land a blow, was punched in the face by Rock.
Many inside the venue — including Jermaine Durpi — were oblivious to the fight taking place behind them. Others either tried to get out of the way as security tossed chairs to reach the outbreak or were stunned and didn’t quite know what was going on.
Security quickly detained both men, with Lee being immediately removed from the venue. Rock, with his cigar still in his mouth, was held back momentarily until Lee left and calmly walked out alongside security.
“I never hit nobody for nothing before,” Rock was overhead saying in the lobby of the casino. “I told him to shut the f— up.”
According to a spokesperson for the Las Vegas Police Department, Rock was cited for misdemeanor battery for his assault on Lee. Rock was not detained or taken into police custody but was issued a summons. He’ll need to return to Vegas for a future court date, and if convicted, he faces a $500 fine and up to six months behind bars.
The two rockers have on and off histories with Anderson. Rock recently married — and divorced — the former “Baywatch” star, and Lee married her in 1995.
The love triangle’s presence in one setting certainly set the stage for an explosive situation that detonated in an ugly fashion. Sunday night, however, wasn’t the first time Rock and Lee have scuffled. There must be something about Vegas. On New Year’s Eve, less than two months after Anderson filed for divorce from Rock, the “Bawitdaba” scribe reportedly learned that his ex had wandered back into Lee’s arms.
An upset Rock allegedly tried to track Lee down, and, with the help of his bodyguards, kicked down what he believed to be the drummer’s room at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Instead, he happened upon a startled family. Rock reportedly signed autographs for them so they wouldn’t press charges and retreated to a nearby strip club.
The dynamic between the three has been rocky ever since Rock and Anderson first hooked up. But it was the divorce filing that really kicked the rivalry into overdrive. Lee reveled in the news, and reportedly called Rock on the phone to taunt him about the failure of his short-lived union.
Before the show started, Rock and Anderson traded a brief pleasantry before each stepped on the red carpet. Anderson only quietly said “hey” to her former beau.
Anderson, however, was much more flirtatious with Lee when she took to the stage as a presenter. Lee whistled at his ex-wife from his seat, causing Anderson to shoot back, “Stop it, Tommy.”
Despite the seriousness of what took place, Jamie Foxx attempted to lighten the mood by joking to the audience to “stop the white-on-white crime,” while Diddy brought a more sobering message, telling the Pearl Theater crowd to “end the violence.”
(Video courtesy of MTV)
