Bill Cosby’s Hollywood Star Vandalized With ‘Serial Rapist’ Graffiti
Bill Cosby’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has been vandalized, TMZ is reporting.
It’s not clear when, but at some point recently a vandal hit the star with a permanent marker and wrote the words “SERIAL RAPIST” and then “#METOO.” “#METOO,” for those not familiar, references the #MeToo movement, a social media movement aimed at helping survivors of sexual misconduct find solidarity with one another.
Bill Cosby's Walk of Fame Star Vandalized with 'Serial Rapist' https://t.co/987AYnbZMo pic.twitter.com/VjKZ0GO1UX
— Daniel Lopez (@4danlopez) September 28, 2018
As vandalism goes, it’s pretty minor. Permanent marker should wipe off of marble with a tissue; failing that, a little acetone (nail polish remover) should do the trick. In fact, this appears to be at least the second time that the star has been vandalized in such a way.
As of this writing, there are no suspects and no arrests, and it’s unclear if the police are even going to make a thing about it.
Bill Cosby, as you are no doubt aware, was sentenced this week to three to 10 years in prison, and has already begun serving his sentence at a Pennsylvania maximum security prison.
As for Cosby’s star, it’s going to remain where it is, until further notice. As Huffington Post reports, despite the fact that a judge has deemed him a “sexually violent predator,” the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce – the committee that manages the Hollywood Walk of Fame – says that his star will stay.
A Philadelphia law firm has sued Bill Cosby, seeking what it says are nearly $283,000 in unpaid legal fees https://t.co/07gIGdzdpN pic.twitter.com/ujSmf70x9w
— CNN (@CNN) September 28, 2018
In a statement, the Chamber said that there’s no process by which stars can be removed.
“The stars only commemorate the recipient’s professional accomplishments. It is regrettable when the personal lives of inductees do not measure up to public standards and expectations.”
The Chamber may want to rethink that, however, if a particular star has become a frequent target for vandalism and/or protests. For example, 404 feet to the east of Cosby’s star (according to Google Maps) is the star of one Donald J. Trump, who got the star in 2007, during the height of popularity of The Apprentice. For nearly a decade, the star went largely ignored but for the rare fan who wanted a picture with the real estate mogul’s monument.
However, ever since he announced his candidacy for president, Trump’s star has been vandalized repeatedly. At least twice it’s been reduced to rubble by pickaxe-wielding vandals; far too many times to count has it had anti-Trump stickers affixed to it, and it’s even been the scene of angry brawls between Trump supporters and Trump opponents. Perhaps the Chamber might want to consider moving Trump’s star to an area with more security?
They may have to do the same to Bill Cosby’s star soon as well.
