A man with a sledgehammer destroyed Donald Trump’s star on the prestigious Hollywood Walk of Fame early Wednesday morning, according to Deadline.
The man, who told the Los Angeles-based entertainment magazine that his name is James Otis, says he was trying to remove the star entirely so that he could auction the prize off in New York, and raise money for several women who claim to have been sexually assaulted by the Republican Presidential nominee.
When he couldn’t manage to pick it up, he simply used the sledgehammer to break the terrazzo star into pieces. Crews got a call about the destruction around 5:45am and immediately set up a secure perimeter.
#BREAKING: Man with a sledgehammer vandalizes Trump's star on Hollywood Walk Of Fame. https://t.co/VXj3a58lDn pic.twitter.com/XkNrBuN6CW
— FOX 11 Los Angeles (@FOXLA) October 26, 2016
The star itself was pretty badly damaged.
Trump's Hollywood Walk of Fame star has been taking a beating this election pic.twitter.com/UXeDQDlbeP
— Chill (@SirManigo) October 26, 2016
Trump receved the star in 2007 for his work on The Apprentice. Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame have to be approved, and come at a cost of around $30,000, normally paid by a celebrity’s fan club or a production company. Although the Walk of Fame circles downton Los Angeles, Trump’s star was in a fairly prominent location, near ABC Studios.
This isn’t the first time Donald Trump’s star has met with trouble, though this is by far the most devastating attack. Earlier in the campaign process, activist groups erected a wall with barbed wire around the star to emphasize their opposition to Trump’s immigration policies.
A street artist mocks Donald Trump's proposal to build a wall, by erecting a fence along Trump's Hollywood Star. pic.twitter.com/NiVL0SHvG8
— ☽ (@fend) September 15, 2016
Earlier this summer, someone left an actual turd on the star which may have been human.
Ladies and gentlemen, someone has placed an actual turd on Donald Trump's star on the walk of fame. #Hollywood pic.twitter.com/Kdo9v6Srnj
— HeardinLondon (@HeardinLondon) September 9, 2016
And an artistic turd.
This is how people react to Donald Trump’s star on Hollywood Boulevard | https://t.co/kHUqJmSnDu #Trump #Hollywood pic.twitter.com/fzU7O6yQKL
— TIME LightBox (@timepictures) October 8, 2016
And a dog turd.
Will Donald Trump's #Hollywood Walk of Fame star be removed after a dog defecated on it? https://t.co/xZY3DhkMjM pic.twitter.com/jlSOXNSgOc
— Brendan Boolman (@jekehetuzysa) April 9, 2016
During the primaries, the star was spray-painted with a Swastika.
#GunSense Donald Trump’s Hollywood star tagged with a swastika (VIDEO) https://t.co/2G0lh4Lqce #nra #gunrights #2a pic.twitter.com/OtbrLhNQMr
— Deplorable Robert (@kc8ysl) February 2, 2016
And a mute button.
Photos of #trump hollywood blvd star w/spray paint mute button & epithets of racist bigotry (but no pic of dog poop) pic.twitter.com/1PwzM3rJr2
— Timi Burke (@gotdem) April 6, 2016
But this morning, it was completely broken.
#BREAKING PHOTOS | Donald Trump's Hollywood Walk of Fame star crushed, vandalized: https://t.co/psbi5o7PVC pic.twitter.com/oS1qlUpUgA
— CBS 13 News (@WGME) October 26, 2016
The LAPD have since removed the police tape and “temporary headquarters” from the scene and a kind soul, taking pity on the poor street tile, has replaced Trump’s brass inlaid name with a campaign bumper sticker.
Hollywood Reporter Donald Trump's Walk of Fame Star Destroyed by Vandal; LAPD Investigating Hollywood… https://t.co/jAvpJfc1hF #news pic.twitter.com/KEYYIvMGeQ
— News Toppers (@NewsToppers) October 26, 2016
