Alien Ant Farm Frontman Charged With Battery

Alien Ant Farm frontman Dryden Mitchell has been charged with battery, after allegedly rubbing a fan’s hand on his genital area during a concert. The Daily Mail reports that a 45-year-old man from Miami, Florida filed a police report against Mitchell, after a concert Broward Center for the Performing Arts on October 29. The man claims he reached up to shake the singer’s hand during their performance, at which point Mitchell pulled the man’s hand toward his crotch. The incident was also captured on camera, which can be viewed at the Daily Mail website.

The unnamed man filed his police report on Dec. 30, with officers writing, “[The fan] said he had his fist in the air and was trying to get a picture with Mitchell.” They added, “[He] advised that Mitchell grabbed his fist while it was in the air and pulled the fist into his private area (genital area) against his pants. [He] stated he immediately pulled his hand away at that point.” The police went on to note that the man told authorities that the alleged incident “was not sitting well with him,” which is why he decided to file the police report. “[He] did not feel this was proper behavior to do in front of all the concertgoers and also stated there were kids in the crowd as well,” officers wrote. “[The fan] advised he wanted to report the incident to police.”

The Daily Mail reached out to the alleged victim but he was not keen on speaking without council. “I do want to tell my story but I do have to listen to my civil lawyers,’ he said. “I’ll be more than happy to speak later. I do want the story out there because what happened was not right.”

Mitchell co-founded Alien Ant Farm in 1996 with Terry Corso (guitars), Mike Cosgrove (drums) and Tye Zamora (bass). Zamora has since left the band. Most well-known for their chart-topping cover of “Smooth Criminal” by Michael Jackson, Alien Ant Farm has released a total of four studio albums. Their breakthrough 2011 album, ANThology, has been certified platinum in multiple countries, including by the Recording Industry Association of America.

In 2022 the band was part of the “Tried-N-True” tour, along with Lit, Hoobastank, and Kristopher Roe of The Ataris. The concert at which the alleged battery incident took place was apparently an off-date, not related to the extended tour. At this time, neither Mitchell nor reps for Alien Ant Farm appear to have responded to the charges.