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The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce oversees the official Hollywood Walk of Fame website. The site announces 'Upcoming Ceremonies,' profiles stars who’ve earned a spot on the Walk, and shares other important details about the organization and its more than 2,500 honorees. (Actress Gillian Anderson is set to become the 2,625th star recipient in January 2018.)
E.M. Stuart, while acting as the president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, is credited with the creation of the Walk, which was initiated in 1955. The initial design for the star included a caricature, but this idea was discarded as being 'too complicated.' The original brown and blue color scheme for the star sidewalks was altered to black and coral. Celebrities from film, television, radio, and music industries were all eligible to receive a star.
On August 15, 1958, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce officially revealed the first eight stars, honoring Olive Borden, Ronald Colman, Louise Fazenda, Preston Foster, Burt Lancaster, Edward Sedgwick, Ernest Torrence, and Joanne Woodward.
Though millions flock to the Walk of Fame every year and most visitors enjoy the experience, a handful of individuals have vandalized the stars of various celebrities. At times, these acts of vandalism appear to be driven by misguided admiration, while in other cases, they seem to stem from a disapproval of the celebrity’s actions or behavior.
A prank can sometimes spark acts of vandalism, and at times, the motives behind such actions remain unclear. Each time a star is damaged, the cost for cleanup or restoration runs into thousands of dollars. The offense is classified as a felony, subject to fines and imprisonment. With more than 2,500 stars scattered within a small area, it becomes incredibly difficult to prevent these acts, no matter the reason behind them.
10. Donald Trump
Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, awarded in 2007 for his work on the television series *The Apprentice*, has been repeatedly defaced with symbols like a swastika, a mute symbol, and even feces. The star has been vandalized so often that there were reports suggesting the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce might consider removing it.
However, those reports were simply rumors. As Leron Gubler, president of the Chamber, explained, 'The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a registered historic landmark. Once a star is added to the Walk, it becomes an integral part of its historical fabric. For this reason, we have never removed a star from the Walk.'
In February 2017, James Lambert Otis, who had pled no contest to charges of vandalism, was sentenced to three years of probation, 20 days of community service with the California Department of Transportation, and was required to pay restitution totaling $3,700 to the Hollywood Historic Trust and $700 to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
Otis was filmed destroying Trump’s star using a pickaxe and sledgehammer while disguised as a construction worker. After smashing the star, he proceeded to remove the brass medallion from its center.
9. Bob Marley
Reggae icon and activist Bob Marley (1945–1981) was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2001. On October 23, 2017, it was discovered that his star had been vandalized. The damage appeared to have been caused by someone striking the star with a sledgehammer. The repairs were completed two days later at a cost of $3,000, which was covered by the Hollywood Historic Trust.
8. Mariah Carey
On August 5, 2015, the legendary Mariah Carey was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, acknowledging her incredible musical achievements. In January 2017, her terrazzo-and-brass star was defaced, with a question mark scratched next to her name, as if questioning her standing as a performer.
This incident occurred just one week after her infamous New Year’s Eve performance in Times Square, where she struggled with a malfunctioning earpiece and was caught lip-syncing. Carey claimed that Dick Clark Productions had intentionally sabotaged her performance to boost ratings, though the production company refuted these claims.
Authorities reviewed surveillance footage and pursued a lead after an Instagram user took responsibility for the vandalism, which was classified as a felony.
7. Hugh Hefner
Just 24 hours after the passing of Playboy magazine mogul Hugh Hefner on September 27, 2017, his Hollywood Walk of Fame star was defaced. The act did not seem to express disdain for Hefner, whose controversial publication featured nude women.
The vandal used a crayon to draw a blue crown above the star, perhaps symbolizing Hefner’s status as a pop culture icon. If caught and convicted, the perpetrator would be responsible for covering the cost of restoring the star, according to a Walk of Fame spokesperson.
6. Bill Cosby
After numerous women accused comedian and actor Bill Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting them, many of his former fans began to view him, once beloved as a father figure and star of television hits like I Spy and The Cosby Show, as a despicable and reviled figure.
This shift in public perception may help explain the vandalism of his Hollywood Walk of Fame star, awarded to him in 1977. The star was defaced multiple times with the word “rapist” written in black marker. The identity of the vandal remains unknown.
5. Sofia Vergara
In the past, protesters have expressed their disapproval of Sofia Vergara’s decision to freeze her embryos. It’s possible that the vandalism of her Hollywood Walk of Fame star is tied to these objections, stemming from her refusal to either implant or dispose of the embryos.
In December 2016, embryos named 'Emma' and 'Isabella,' along with their trustee, James Charbonnet, filed a lawsuit against Sofia Vergara, claiming she prevented them from inheriting from a Louisiana trust established for them earlier. Vergara allegedly did this by refusing to allow the embryos to be born.
The plaintiffs requested that Vergara be compelled to release Emma and Isabella to their father, Nick Loeb. This would allow the embryos to live and access the funds set aside for their education, healthcare, and other needs in the trust.
A Louisiana judge dismissed the case, stating the embryos were 'California citizens,' and that the plaintiffs filed their lawsuit in the wrong state, likely because Louisiana favors the rights of unborn children. The judge also mentioned that the case could require a constitutional evaluation and that his court had no jurisdiction.
While actress Sofia Vergara and her fiancé, Joe Manganiello, were attending the premiere of Magic Mike XXL at a Hollywood theater, her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which she received in May 2015, was defaced with the hashtag '#embryodefense.'
4. John Lennon
One of the various markings found on the Hollywood Walk of Fame star of John Lennon read, "It cost alot [sic] to win & even more 2 lose." This graffiti was spotted by Gillian Lomax during a guided tour, who also discovered other doodles, including a smiley face, a spotted mushroom, the phrase 'Blackbird . . .' alongside 'Rain was here,' and the words 'I love you.'
Lomax described the defacing as the work of 'morons,' labeling the scribblings as 'rather tacky.' She observed that the varying ink colors suggested multiple individuals were involved. Despite her efforts to remove the markings, they could not be erased.
Once Ana Martinez of the Hollywood Walk of Fame was alerted to the situation, the graffiti was removed, restoring the star to its original state. Capitol Records even sought out surveillance footage in hopes of identifying the vandals.
3. Ashley And Mary-Kate Olsen
Twins Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen, famous for their role in the beloved television show Full House and co-founders of the Dualstar business empire, are honored with a joint star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Known for their frequent fur-wearing, they have faced criticism from animal rights groups, including an incident where a vandal defaced their star with the words “FUR HAGS!”
The star of Sharon Stone, another actress associated with fur fashion, was similarly targeted, with the inscription “OLD FUR HAG!” added to her star. While the animal rights group PETA has often called out the Olsens for their fur choices, it seems improbable that PETA itself was responsible for vandalizing their Hollywood star.
2. Ed McMahon
The newspapers adhered to Ed McMahon’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, possibly by chance. It's also possible that vandalism played a role, as the papers seem to be stuck to a black substance that looks like either paint or tar, which was spread over the landmark.
There were no flowers, notes, or other items found at the scene. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce took care of the cleanup later that evening. If it was indeed an act of vandalism, the motive remains unclear.
1. Harry Houdini
The famous magician Harry Houdini was renowned for escaping from all manner of restraints—shackles, cages, straitjackets, and traps. However, it seems he might not have been able to avoid the vandals who damaged his Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
The star was first revealed in 1975 and remained intact until Halloween night of 2000, when it mysteriously cracked. Thanks to the efforts of David Copperfield, Penn & Teller, Siegfried and Roy, and others who funded the repairs, it was restored.
The second ceremony for Houdini’s star took place in October 2008.
