LOS ANGELES – Donald Trump’s name no longer appears on the Hollywood Walk of Fame after his star was defaced early Wednesday morning .
Donald Trump’s Walk of Fame star is pictured after it was vandalized on Oct. 26, 2016. (Credit: Jamie Moreno).
The vandalism was reported around 6 a.m., according to Officer Norma Eisenman with the Los Angeles Police Department, but the damage was already done by the time officers arrived on scene.
The real estate mogul and Republican presidential candidate received the star, located at 6801 Hollywood Blvd. near the Dolby Theater, in 2007 for his work on NBC reality show “The Apprentice.”
Jamie Moreno, who works as a security guard nearby, told KTLA a man smashed it with a sledgehammer, stating it was revenge for the women Trump has insulted.
Officials did not provide a suspect description but said the incident is under investigation.
A 6-inch concrete wall was placed around Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on July 19, 2016. (Credit: Plastic Jesus)
According to Deadline, a man identifying himself as James Otis claimed responsibility and said he was trying to extract the star and auction it off to raise funds for the legal fees of women accusing Trump of sexual assault.
No further details were immediately available.
In late July, a six-inch wall was erected around the candidate’s star in response to his controversial views on immigration and calls for a border wall.
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which administers the Hollywood Walk of Fame issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon in reference to the vandalism, saying the star will be repaired immediately but that it will take several days.
“The Hollywood Walk of Fame is an institution celebrating the positive contributions of the inductees,” Hollywood Chamber of Commerce President Leron Gubler said. “When people are unhappy with one of our honorees, we would hope that they would project their anger in more positive ways than to vandalize a California State landmark. Our democracy is based on respect for the law. People can make a difference by voting and not destroying public property.”
