Valerie Rojas Pruitt, 12, lights a candle Friday at Michael Jackson's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Jackson’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was surrounded hours before dawn Friday by candles, flowers, posters and balloons. As the sun rose, a man crouched on the sidewalk and painted a portrait of the pop star, who died suddenly on Thursday.
“This is a very sad day here in Hollywood, California,” sobbed Melissa Fazli, a CNN iReporter. “This is very, very sad. I can’t believe it.”
The star emblem had been covered until almost 3 a.m. by a red carpet for the premiere of the Sasha Baron Cohen film “Bruno” at Grauman’s Chinese Theater, but fans started leaving mementos as soon as the carpet was removed. The film’s producers reportedly cut a scene referencing Jackson, at least for the premiere.
