West Palm Beach, Fla. – Rock icon Rod Stewart and his son have reached a court settlement to resolve battery rape charges stemming from a fight with a security guard at a chic Florida hotel.
Defense prosecutors and attorneys announced on Friday that Stewart and his son Sean Stewart would not stand trial for the strife at The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach on New Year’s Day 2020, South Florida SunSentinel reported. The terms were not disclosed.
Stewart, 76 and a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is best known for hits like “Maggie May” and “Tonight’s the Night”. The London-born singer was named a knight by Queen Elizabeth II in 2016.
Security guard Jessie Dixon told police at the time that Stewart, now 76, and his family were at the check-in table for a private party they were not allowed to attend.
Dixon said the group got loud and started to cause a scene. Dixon told investigators that he put his hand on young Stewart’s chest and told him to step back and make room, the report said.
That’s when Sean Stewart, the rock star’s 40-year-old son, came “face to face” with Dixon.
Sean Stewart then pushed Dixon back. Rod Stewart punched Dixon in the “left rib cage area” with a closed fist, a police report said.
The police report said Sean Stewart told investigators that he was agitated when they were unable to attend the event “due to Dixon’s interaction with him and his family”.
Palm Beach official Stephen Mancino said he saw the hotel’s security footage and determined that the Stewarts were the “main attackers”.
Two Breakers employees who were working at the private event told police they saw Sean Stewart push Dixon and Rod Stewart to punch the guard.
Dixon signed a statement saying he wanted to press charges against the Stewarts.