Dolly Parton’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was vandalized just one week after her death at age 80.
The brass inlay bearing the country icon’s name was found Monday with deep scratches gouged across it, and flowers left by grieving fans had been stolen from the site on Hollywood Boulevard. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce confirmed that repair crews were dispatched to fix the damage, which came after thousands of mourners had transformed the area into a makeshift memorial.
“Dolly’s star already had cracks in it, and the chamber had scheduled it to be repaired Tuesday,” Ana Martinez, a spokesperson for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, said. Martinez added that it was a fan who stole the flowers and left scratches on the star.
Video captured by local news station KNX shows a hollow cavity where Parton’s star previously sat as repair crews worked along Hollywood Boulevard to install a replacement.
Parton received her first star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1984, a milestone that launched decades of recognition on the famous stretch. She later became the first female artist of the 21st century — and one of very few performers in history — to be honored with multiple stars.
“I like to do things in pairs, if you know what I mean!” she famously joked in 2018 about receiving her second star.
Her nephew and longtime head of security Bryan Seaver announced the news of her death in an Instagram video last Tuesday. “I am representing the Parton and Owens family today, announcing the passing of my Aunt Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean. Sister, Sis and Aunt Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next,” Seaver began.
Parton had shared her final health update earlier this month, just days after canceling her appearance at a Dollywood event. In her final interview, she admitted she was “dealing with some health issues” that she “just didn’t pay attention to” as she was “watching over” her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, before his death in March 2025.
Born in 1946 in a rural household with 11 siblings and no running water, Parton often said she grew up “dirt poor” and had to scrape by with her family. Her mother recognized her genius early: Parton wrote her first song at age 5, hit local airwaves by 10, and stunned the Grand Ole Opry at 13.
Her breakthrough 1967 singles “Dumb Blonde” and “Something Fishy” proved her power at just 21, and by the early 1970s, hits like “Coat of Many Colors” cemented her status as America’s country queen.
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has not announced when the replacement star will be fully installed.