The Hulk statue took quite a hit.
This week, a skateboarder aggressively attacked a life-size Red Hulk statue outside a gym on Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip. This incident is just the latest in a troubling trend of vandalism directed at the statue.
According to Rocco Carlo DiStefano, the owner of The Lab Athletic Club in West Hollywood, the statue has suffered damage multiple times in under a year since it was installed. Recently, a skateboarder punched the statue, causing noticeable damage to its nose and mouth—a move that seemed more like a ploy for social media attention.
Interestingly, just last month, strong winds had knocked over the statue, shattering it into numerous pieces. It was repaired and reattached, but mere days before its planned reappearance, its arm was torn off.
There have also been bizarre incidents over the summer, including a stabbing to the chest and a headbutt from a psychiatrist—two separate events that add to the statue’s unfortunate history.
DiStefano mentioned that the total repair costs have now surpassed $15,000, factoring in the expertise of professionals who usually work on film and television props.
Despite all this, he remains determined to keep the statue on display. He’s even entertaining the idea of adding another statue, likely Hercules, and is looking into protective measures like fencing. “You can tear it down, but we’re going to put it back together,” he remarked with a sense of defiance.
