It sounds made up, but it happened. In 2018 a man smashed the Donald Trump star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a pickaxe and was arrested. The man who offered to cover his $20,000 bail was the same man who had destroyed the very same star two years earlier. Here is the full story.
The Trump Hollywood Star Itself
Trump received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007 for his work on The Apprentice, the reality show that made him a household name for a new generation of TV viewers. At the time, it was a routine honor. The Walk of Fame recognizes people across film, television, music, radio and live performance, and a hit network show was enough to earn a spot. The Trump star sits on Hollywood Boulevard, one of the busiest tourist spots in Los Angeles. Millions of visitors walk that stretch every year, looking down at the pink terrazzo and brass plaques for names they recognize. For nearly a decade, the Trump Hollywood star was just one of many. People snapped photos and moved on. That changed once he entered politics. As his presidential campaign heated up, the star turned into a symbol for supporters and opponents alike. After he entered politics, it became a target, as covered in earlier stories, and the strange chain of events that followed is hard to believe.
References: The Source: Man who vandalized Trump's star sentenced to probation; Bustle: Trump Hollywood star vandal sentence; Man who destroyed Trump's star bailed out by man who smashed it earlier
October 2016: The First Attack
Weeks before the 2016 election, James Otis took a sledgehammer and pickaxe to the star. He arrived dressed as a construction worker, according to reports at the time, and worked on the plaque in broad daylight on one of the busiest sidewalks in the city. People walked past. Some filmed. By the time he was done, the star was badly damaged. Otis did not hide his reasons. He said he planned to auction the brass plaque to help women who accused Trump of misconduct, turning the damaged star into a fundraiser for a cause he believed in. The election was only weeks away, and tensions were high across the country. His act drew strong reactions on both sides. Supporters of Trump called it plain vandalism. Some of his critics cheered, while others said it was the wrong way to make a point. He turned himself in to police soon after. More strange news here covers other odd moments from that tense campaign season.
What Happened to Otis
What Happened to Otis after his arrest? The legal process moved fairly quickly. Otis pleaded no contest to felony vandalism. A no contest plea means a defendant does not admit guilt but accepts the conviction and sentence, which is common in cases where the facts are not in serious dispute. He was sentenced to three years of probation, community service and a few days in jail. He was also ordered to pay restitution, which means covering the cost of the damage he caused. That sentence was lighter than what many people expected for a felony, partly because he had turned himself in and cooperated. Still, it left him with a criminal record and years of court supervision. Otis had made his statement, and now he was paying for it. Meanwhile, the city and the chamber that manages the Walk moved to fix the damage. The star was repaired soon after, according to news reports, and it returned to its spot on the boulevard as if nothing had happened.
July 2018: It Happens Again
Less than two years later, the repaired star was hit again. In July 2018, Austin Clay smashed the star with a pickaxe, leaving it cracked and broken just as it had been in 2016. He had reportedly hidden the tool in a guitar case, which let him carry it down the busy boulevard without drawing much attention. To passersby, he probably looked like just another musician in Hollywood. Then he opened the case. The damage was quick and serious. He was arrested on suspicion of felony vandalism, and police booked him into jail. Bail was set at $20,000, a large sum for most people. By then, Trump had been president for a year and a half, and feelings about him were as intense as ever. Images of the smashed star spread across social media within hours. Many people could not believe the same Trump Hollywood star had been destroyed twice. The story quickly went viral, like many viral stories from those years, and then it took a turn nobody saw coming.
The Twist Nobody Expected
Here is where the story becomes almost unbelievable. Otis, the man who had smashed the same star in 2016, heard about Clay’s arrest. Rather than staying out of it, he contacted Clay’s family and offered to pay his $20,000 bail. One vandal was offering to help another vandal who had attacked the exact same target. He said he understood what Clay was going through, having faced the same charges and public attention just two years earlier. Reports differ on whether the money was needed in the end. Public accounts leave some of the details unclear. But the offer made headlines worldwide. News outlets from many countries picked up the story because it was so unusual. For some readers, it was a political statement. For others, it was simply a bizarre human moment that showed how strongly people felt during those years. Read more twists from strange news cases that took similar turns.
Why Otis Stepped In
Why would anyone offer to pay a stranger’s bail? Otis said he knew the stress of being arrested for the same act. He had been through police questioning, court dates and public criticism, and he did not want Clay to face that alone. In his view, the two men shared something unusual. He saw Clay as someone who had made a political statement, not a criminal, even though both had broken the law. That view was clearly shaped by his own politics. Supporters of Trump saw it very differently. To them, Otis was rewarding destruction of property and encouraging more of it. Others thought the gesture simply blurred the line between protest and vandalism. Many readers found the gesture strange, others found it oddly kind, and a few found it both at once. It is rare to see someone reach out to a person who copied their own illegal act. Reactions poured in, as seen in the comments on social media and news sites, and they split along familiar lines.
A Trump Hollywood Star That Keeps Getting Hit
Trump’s star has been vandalized several times, not only in the two famous smashings. It has been spray-painted, scratched and smashed over the years. Some people have drawn on it or placed objects on it. Others have left messages around it. Each incident brought cleanup crews and a new wave of news coverage. It has been repaired each time, sometimes within days. In 2018, after the second smashing, some local officials even proposed removing it. The West Hollywood City Council approved a resolution asking for its removal, according to reports, though the city does not control the Walk of Fame. The Hollywood chamber that manages the Walk said it would not take the Trump star down. Supporters of Trump saw the removal push as political targeting. Supporters of removal said the star had become a magnet for conflict. Neither side won over the other. The star stayed, and so did the arguments. That debate continues in Hollywood news, and it resurfaces whenever the Trump star is damaged again.
Who Pays for Trump Hollywood Star Repairs
Who Pays for Repairs when a star is damaged? The answer is not always simple. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce manages the Walk of Fame, working with the Hollywood Historic Trust on its upkeep. The chamber oversees nominations, ceremonies and maintenance of the stars along the boulevard. Repairs are paid by the chamber or ordered as restitution from vandals when someone is caught and convicted. In Otis’s case, restitution was part of his sentence. That means the person who caused the damage is expected to cover at least part of the cost. Each fix costs thousands of dollars, because the stars are made of specific materials and must match the look of the rest of the Walk. Workers often have to remove broken pieces, prepare a new plaque and set it in place. When a star is hit repeatedly, those costs add up. Some people argue that public money should never be spent repairing a politician’s star. Others say the Walk is a landmark worth protecting. Find more on local stories that cover city life.
The Legal Line
Damaging public property is a crime, whatever the motive. That principle is basic, but it is easy to forget when emotions run high. Some people who disliked Trump saw the smashings as acts of protest. Some who supported him saw them as attacks on him personally. In court, neither view changes the core question: was property damaged, and who did it? Courts treat political anger the same as any other reason for vandalism. A judge may consider motive when deciding a sentence, along with factors like cooperation and prior record, but the act itself remains illegal. Both men faced felony charges because the damage was serious and costly. People have many legal ways to express political views, including voting, peaceful protest, writing and organizing. Destroying a landmark is not one of them. That standard applies to everyone, whether the target is a politician most people like or one they dislike. Learn more in legal coverage about how vandalism cases are handled.
Fans Rallied Too
After each attack, Trump supporters gathered at the star to clean it, leave flowers or guard it. Some arrived with cleaning supplies. Others brought flags, signs or small American flags to place around the plaque. For them, protecting the star became a way to show loyalty and push back against what they saw as disrespect. Opponents of Trump also came to the spot, sometimes to protest, sometimes just to take pictures of the damage. Opponents and supporters sometimes clashed nearby, with shouting matches and, according to reports, occasional scuffles. Police were called at times to keep the peace. Tourists who happened to be walking by often found themselves in the middle of a political scene they had not expected. A piece of sidewalk had become one of the most charged locations in Hollywood. The spot became a stage for politics, as in related stories, and it showed how symbols can take on meaning far beyond their original purpose.
The Walk of Fame’s Rules
The Walk of Fame’s Rules help explain why the star is still there. Stars are awarded by the chamber after nominations and fees. Fans, studios or publicists usually submit a nomination, a committee selects honorees, and a sponsor pays a fee that covers the creation of the star and its upkeep. The process is focused on entertainment careers. Once placed, they are rarely removed. The Walk includes people who later faced scandals or controversy, and in most cases their stars have stayed. Officials say the Walk honors careers in entertainment, not politics. In that view, Trump’s star recognizes his work on television, not his later role as president, and his politics should not change that record. Critics argue that the Walk should be able to respond to public conduct. Defenders say removing stars over controversy would open the door to endless fights about who deserves to stay. That rule kept Trump’s star in place, per entertainment news, despite years of calls to take it out.
Why the Trump Hollywood Star Story Still Spreads
Why the Story Still Spreads years later is easy to understand. A vandal paying another vandal’s bail is the kind of detail people remember. It sounds like a joke or a plot twist from a TV show, but it was real. Stories like that are made for sharing. It shows how strongly some people felt in those years, strongly enough to break the law and then to support someone else who did the same. For historians of the era, it is a small but telling example of how politics seeped into everyday places. Even a sidewalk became a battleground. The story also touches on bigger questions about protest, the law and political anger, which keeps it relevant whenever those topics return to the news. Each time the star is in the headlines again, people dig up the old articles. Years later, the story still travels on social media, like many throwback posts that bring back the strangest moments of the past decade.
Where the Men Are Now
Where are the two men now? Neither man has stayed in the spotlight. After their brief moments of fame, both largely faded from public view. There has been little public reporting on their lives since, and both are private individuals rather than public figures. That is probably for the best. Their actions made headlines, but they were not politicians, celebrities or activists with large followings. Their names resurface each time the star makes news, usually as part of a quick recap of past attacks. Readers rediscover the bail twist and share it again. Beyond that, there is little to report. Their story remains one of the strangest chapters of the Trump era, a moment when two strangers were linked by the same act and the same target. It is a reminder of how emotional that period was for many Americans. It also shows how a single act can follow a person for years online, as told in our archive on the star’s history.
Hollywood Boulevard Today
What is Hollywood Boulevard like today around the star? Tourists still stop at Trump’s star to take photos, cheer or complain. Some pose with a thumbs up. Others pose with a thumbs down. A few simply take a quick picture because they recognize the name. It sits among thousands of stars for actors, singers and TV hosts, stretching along the boulevard and nearby Vine Street. Many visitors spend hours searching for their favorite names. Few draw as much emotion as Trump’s. Nearby stars for movie legends and pop singers usually get a smile or a selfie. His gets debate. Street performers, souvenir shops and tour buses fill the area, creating a busy mix of entertainment and commerce. For local businesses, the attention brings foot traffic. For police and maintenance workers, it brings extra work when tensions flare. The boulevard remains one of the most visited places in Los Angeles. See travel stories for more on Hollywood and other famous places worth visiting.
The Trump Hollywood Star by the Numbers
By the Numbers, the story of this one sidewalk plaque is remarkable. Two smashings, two years apart, each by a man with a strong political motive. One pickaxe hidden in a guitar case, a detail that made the second attack especially memorable. A $20,000 bail, offered by the very man who had destroyed the same star first. Three years of probation for the first man, along with community service, a short jail stay and restitution. Thousands of dollars in repairs, paid through restitution or by the organization that manages the Walk. Add to that multiple smaller acts of vandalism, a city council resolution calling for removal and repeated rallies by supporters and opponents. For a small piece of terrazzo and brass, that is a lot of history. Most stars on the Walk never make the news after their unveiling ceremony. This one has become a recurring headline. Few sidewalk stars have a record like this, as odd news shows again and again.
What Do You Think of the Trump Hollywood Star Saga?
Now it is your turn. Was the bail offer an act of kindness or a political stunt? Some readers see Otis as a man who showed empathy for someone in the same situation he had faced. Others see a public gesture that rewarded vandalism and kept the attention on himself. It could be a bit of both. Should the star stay or go? Supporters of keeping it say the Walk honors entertainment careers and should not be rewritten by politics. Supporters of removing it say it has caused repeated conflict and costs. Many people simply want the vandalism to stop, whatever happens to the plaque. There is room for different views here, and the debate has gone on for years. We only ask that comments stay civil. People can disagree strongly and still talk respectfully. The story of this star is strange, sometimes funny and sometimes tense, and it says a lot about the era. Share your opinion and keep reading similar stories for more unusual news.
