Just one week after Dolly Parton’s death, her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was vandalized, sparking outrage as fans continued mourning the country music legend.
Repair work was already planned for Parton’s star because of existing cracks, according to Ana Martinez of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
The star had recently become a makeshift memorial covered with flowers, cards and other tributes following Parton’s death at age 80.
Those memorial items were cleared ahead of scheduled work by the Hollywood Historic Trust, which is responsible for maintaining the Walk of Fame stars.
But after the area was cleared, someone apparently damaged the star by scratching across Parton’s name.
A woman named Lore Corona posted video of the damage on social media Monday after arriving with her daughters to leave flowers at the site.
“Somebody decided to do this about 10 minutes before we got here,” the woman said on her video, which shows the damaged star, which appeared to have Parton’s name extensively scratched. “It just doesn’t make any sense.”
Dolly Parton’s Hollywood star vandalized days after her death
Fellow citizens first tried to remove the damage
Repairs already underway pic.twitter.com/TEQGKZBKqi
— RTVisual (@RT_Visual_on_X) September 2, 2026
Corona said a custodian at the scene told her that a woman had kicked around candles that had previously been left at the memorial.
According to Corona’s post, the custodian said the woman then used a shard from one of the broken candles to scratch the star.
The apparent vandalism struck a nerve with fans already grieving Parton’s death and left many questioning why anyone would target a memorial honoring one of America’s most beloved entertainers.
Parton’s Hollywood star had become a gathering place for mourners in the days after her death, with fans traveling to the site to pay their respects.
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The damage came at an especially ugly moment, as tributes continued pouring in for the country music icon and philanthropist whose career spanned decades.
Officials said the star was already scheduled for repairs, and work was underway Tuesday following the vandalism.
For fans who had come to honor Parton’s memory, however, the timing of the damage only made the act more disturbing.
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