Donald Trump

Trump's Smashed Walk of Fame Star Remains Under Wraps, For Now

The star on Hollywood Boulevard remained under a plywood board two weeks after it was clobbered to pieces by a protesting vandal

A lot of things have changed since James Otis took an ax and sledgehammer to Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in an overnight act of vandalism and protest.

The heir to the Otis Elevator Company fortune, dressed as a construction worker in a hard-hat and high-visibility vest, smashed the star to pieces in the wee hours of Oct. 28. Otis' protest of the then-candidate for president was caught on camera, representing just another passion-filled chapter in a bizarre election saga.

Nearly two weeks later, voters have cast their ballots, Trump is the president-elect and repairs, which began just a few hours after Otis chipped the star into fragments and removed its bronze TV emblem, are almost complete. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce said the star has been mostly repaired but still needs to dry and be polished.

Officials said they're hoping to unveil the star as soon as possible.

The star remained blocked off and covered in plywood Wednesday, hours after the former reality show star and New York billionaire defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the race for president.

About two dozen Trump supporters reveled at the site after the election, snapping photos until police asked them to move on. Trump's star was dedicated in January 2007 for his work as a producer on televised beauty pageants and his work on NBC's "The Apprentice."

Walk of Fame star recipients are selected by a committee that considers hundreds of applications each year. The stars are sponsored for a fee of $30,000, if the person is selected.

The star was repeatedly targeted during the presidential campaign. It was defaced with spray paint and surrounded by a miniature wall in protest of Trump's plan to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border.

As for Otis, he took full responsibility and was arrested on suspicion of vandalism. His plan was to remove the star, then use it to raise money for the women who accused Trump of sexually assaulting them, Otis said

"He fancies himself a civil activist," said his attorney, Mieke ter Poorten. "Someone who fights for the right of the under-represented.

"It didn't work out quite the way he wanted it to. What he was trying to do was that when you have a bad act, you accept responsbility for your bad act. And, you accept the responsiblity for your bad act."

Trump has denied the sexual assault accusations.

Editor's note: This article was updated to clarify the Walk of Fame sponsorship process.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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