One of the most visited spots in Hollywood is the Walk of Fame, which bears the names of thespians, musicians, directors, and other personalities in the entertainment industry chosen by the overseeing Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
To date, more than 2,600 stars have earned their name on the famous Hollywood sidewalks that are a hit among tourists – but that doesn’t mean they remain safe from vandalism. There are a lot of times when pranksters poke fun at these stars, while others just make their disapproval of the inclusion of the names heard by defacing these things despite the consequences placed, such as fines and jail time.
Bob Marley
The late Bob Marley, activist and reggae icon, has long been resting in peace but that doesn’t mean his Walk of Fame star has also been left untouched. Sixteen years after he was awarded in 2001, someone slammed his reputable mark on the street with what seemed to be a sledgehammer. After the harrowing event, the Hollywood Historic Trust had to shell out $3,000 to fix the damage.
Hollywood Chamber of Commerce member Ana Martinez took to Twitter to share the mess and wondered how anyone could fathom doing such a violent act. Despite efforts by law enforcement agencies, the culprit behind the act has neither been identified nor arrested.
John Lennon
Another celebrity who had his star vandalized after his death is John Lennon, whose defaced star was discovered by tour guide Gillian Lomax while entertaining some tourists. There were a lot of writings on it in different inks, some were non-sense while others were random things.
Lomax believed that it was a group who had done this to the late The Beatles member’s star and said she tried removing the marks by rubbing, but to no avail. Unlike Marley’s, Lennon’s star was relatively easier to fix as after Martinez learned of the event, the writings were removed. Also, Capitol Records reportedly checked the surveillance footage to catch the suspect.
Mariah Carey
Multi-award winning singer Mariah Carey has a lot of hits that are still popular nowadays, thereby gaining her a spot in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her star was given on Aug. 15, 2015, but in less than two years, it was already tarnished with a big question mark near her name, seemingly questioning her inclusion in the line-up of outstanding performers.
It is worth noting that this happened just a few days after her controversial performance during New Year’s Eve in Times, where she was caught lip-synching. Carey alleged it was an entertainment production company’s fault, insisting that they wanted to sabotage her just to up the ratings, to which the Dick Clark-owned studio denied.
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
The one who targeted the “Full House” twins’ star was very clear on why he/she did the vandalizing, both Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen loved fur – something that had earned the ire of animal rights activists. That said, the suspect may be supporting the same cause as well and even if the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals had long been striking the designers, it was unlikely that the group did the disrespectful action.
Ellen DeGeneres, Jennifer Lopez, Pharrell Williams, and Michael Buble
These big stalwarts in the music and entertainment industries are clumped up in a single spot because their stars were vandalized all at the same time. It was just in November 2018 when their names were subsequently marred with black spray paint. Jennifer Lopez’s star had what seemed to be like a hastily made “X” mark; Ellen DeGeneres’, an undecipherable mark; Pharrell Williams’, a line on his entire name; and Michael Buble.
Reports say that each restoration will cost $1,000, and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce turned to surveillance footage to finally bring justice to the stars. The motive behind the acts was unclear but what is nice to think about is the connection between these A-listers.
Hugh Hefner
A day after his death, Hugh Hefner’s star was defaced with a blue crayon
The founder of an adult magazine, Hugh Hefner, died on Sept. 27, 2017, and just a day after his demise, his Hollywood Walk of Fame star was vandalized with what seemed to be a blue crayon. Although most of the graffiti on the people from this list were either of hate or were just pranks, this seemed to be the most forgivable – the printed name wasn’t touched, but a crown was placed just above it. However, as much as the person had good intentions, concerned officials said the wrongdoer would pay for the cost of cleaning once apprehended.