The Hollywood Walk of Fame star honoring the late Jenni Rivera was vandalized with black paint just two weeks after its unveiling by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Rivera, affectionately known as “La Diva de La Banda,” was celebrated with a star in front of Capitol Records on June 27. On Monday afternoon, Rivera’s daughter, Jacqie Rivera, who is also the CEO of Jenni Rivera Enterprises, informed her Instagram followers that the star had been defaced with black paint. Another star honoring the late Selena Quintanilla was also vandalized.
Both Rivera and Quintanilla were iconic figures who represented their dual Mexican-American heritage through their music, significantly impacting the globalization of Latin music. Tragically, both artists died young, with Quintanilla being murdered in 1995 and Rivera perishing in a plane crash in 2012.
Jacqie Rivera learned about the vandalism from fans who visited her mother’s star and found it covered in black paint. These fans took it upon themselves to clean the star while the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce was contacted to handle the professional cleaning and to investigate the incident. The non-profit organization expressed their dismay on Instagram, stating, “This is unacceptable! Thanks to the fans who tried to clean the star up and reported. Note, there are cameras everywhere and a police report has been filed!”
A representative for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Rivera’s children, who were present at the star’s unveiling, also expressed their gratitude to the fans in the comments section of the Chamber’s Instagram post. Chiquis Rivera, a Latin Grammy-winning artist herself, wrote, “I cannot with this. Smh. Thank you for my momma’s fans that took the time to help clean it up. Shame on the person/people who did this.”
The incident occurred between midnight and 11:30 a.m. on Monday at the star’s location in the 1700 block of N Vine Street. Information on the suspect or suspects has not been released. Officials confirmed that Selena Quintanilla Perez’s star, known as the “Queen of Tejano Music,” was also vandalized. A photo shared by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce shows Rivera’s vandalized star, along with a video of fans attempting to clean it before professional crews arrived. The Chamber of Commerce advised fans not to attempt cleaning in the future due to the potential damage from harsh chemicals.
Rivera’s star has since been restored to its original condition. The banda superstar, born and raised in Long Beach, was honored with her star on the Walk of Fame just five days before the 55th anniversary of her birth. Rivera received numerous accolades during her career, including 18 Premio lo Nuestro awards, 22 Billboard Latin Music Awards, and two Billboard Music Awards. She released 12 studio albums, addressing topics ranging from relationships to societal issues, before her untimely death in a plane crash on December 9, 2012, after a concert in Mexico.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame Instagram account stated that they have dispatched Terrazzo star maker Vince to conduct repairs. They expressed gratitude towards fans who attempted to clean the star and reported the incident. They also noted that the area is under surveillance with numerous cameras and that a police report has been filed. Chiquis Rivera commented on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Instagram post, “I cannot with this. Smh. Thank you for my momma’s fans that took the time to help clean it up. Shame on the person/people who did this.”
Jenni Rivera entered more than 30 songs on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart, with 15 of those hitting the top 10. On the Hot Latin Songs chart, she placed a total of 25 songs, with two reaching the top 10: “Ahora Que Estuviste Lejos” and “La Misma Gran Señora.”
The vandalism of Jenni Rivera’s star has sparked outrage among her fans and loved ones. Debbie Ochoa and her family, who are fans of Rivera, were eager to find her newly unveiled star while visiting Southern California. Instead, they found it covered in black paint. “We were distraught; we were hurt,” said Debbie Ochoa. Fans, including the Ochoas, immediately got to work to try to clean it up. “We all came together, and that was very nice because we had never met these people. But knowing that we were all fans, and we cared to do something about it, it felt nice,” Ochoa added.
Rivera’s daughter Jacqie reached out to thank the fans personally. Officials reported that both Rivera’s and Selena’s stars were vandalized again with black spray paint sometime on Tuesday. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has brought in professionals to clean the stars. Details about a suspect or a motive behind the vandalism have not been disclosed.
Source: Variety, Billboard, KABC
