LAPD investigates vandalism at Mariah Carey’s star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Los Angeles police on Tuesday were trying to find the person responsible for vandalizing Mariah Carey’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The vandalism was reported Monday morning to police after a photograph of the damaged star appeared on Instagram, said Ana Martinez, spokeswoman for the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Someone had scribbled a blue question mark after the singer’s name.

Crews removed the question mark on Monday and polished Carey’s star. The repairs cost $1,500, Martinez said.

Carey made headlines last week following her botched New Year’s Eve performance in Times Square.

The televised breakdown happened during the superstar’s hit, “Emotions,” on “Dick Clark‘s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” on ABC.

During the performance, Carey walked around the stage, sang bits of the song and stated that they hadn’t rehearsed it during sound check.

After the performance, Carey and her spokeswoman blamed the problems on technical difficulties.

On Sunday, Carey posted a recorded message on her Twitter, saying the production team “chose to capitalize on circumstances beyond our control.”

“It’s not practical for a singer to sing live and be able to hear themselves properly in the middle of Times Square with all the noise, the freezing cold, the smoke from the smoke machines, thousands of people celebrating, especially when their ear monitors were not working at all,” she said. “Listen guys, they spoiled me. Thus, it turned into an opportunity to humiliate me and all those who were excited to ring in the new year with me.”

But a Dick Clark Productions spokesperson told The Times that Carey had declined a sound check and should have been able to hear the prerecorded music.

Carey said she was taking a break from social media to prepare for her tour, but would continue to meet her personal obligations.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

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