HOLLYWOOD - Kid Rock has slammed love rival Tommy Lee for "years of disrespect"--blaming the Motley Crue star for their public brawl at the MTV VMAs earlier this month.

Rock punched Lee during the Las Vegas ceremony, and claims it was out of revenge for "inappropriate" cell phone messages sent by the drummer during Rock’s marriage to model/actress Pamela Anderson.

Rock says, "Tommy was always just a pain in the ass. There was lots of years of disrespect but I was a part of his kids' lives. So I wasn't going to be disrespectful about him around his kids."

Lee married Anderson in 1995, before divorcing three years later--while Anderson filed for divorce against Rock, real name Robert Ritchie, just four months after they wed last August.

http://www.hollywood.com/news/Kid_Rock_Blames_MTV_Brawl_with_Tommy_Lee_on_Years_of_Disrespect/4922356