Lucille Ball’s NY Hometown Wants Statue of Her Removed

UPDATE:

The artist behind the "frightening" sculpture of Lucille Ball is now offering to fix the statue for free, admitting it's "by far my most unsettling sculpture." 

In a letter to The Hollywood Reporter, the artist said:

I take full responsibility for 'Scary Lucy,' though by no means was that my intent or did I wish to disparage in any way the memories of the iconic Lucy image. "From the day of its installation, I have shared my disappointment in the final outcome and have always believed it to be by far my most unsettling sculpture, not befitting of Lucy’s beauty or my ability as a sculptor. Yes, in retrospect, it should have never been cast in bronze and made public, and I take complete ownership of that poor decision.

 

The mayor of Celoron said the statue will remain on display until a decision is made for the repair. Even though the artist is willing to fix it at his own expense, the mayor does not want him to touch it again.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Lucille Ball's hometown in western New York wants the statue of her removed. 

Ball's hometown of Celoron, NY is not happy with the life-sized statue that was erected to honor the actress in 2009. Locals are unhappy with the sculptor's unflattering depiction of the "I Love Lucy" star, as reported by Yahoo News.

One resident of Jamestown believes the statue should be replaced by one that's befitting to the legend. He said:

Lucille Ball was not only an amazing comedienne, but she was a stunning beauty. Her sense of humor only made her more beautiful. This statue looks nothing like the beautiful Lucy we all know. If for no other reason than that... the statue should go.

 

There is a Facebook page set up to support the removal of the statue. The page is titled We Love Lucy! Get Rid of this Statue.

The entire Jamestown area is very proud of the television icon. Jamestown is also the home of the Lucille Ball -Desi Arnaz Museum & Center for Comedy.

Mayor of Celoron, Scott Schrecengost said it would cost a lot of money to have the original artist recast the statue. Costs would be between $8,000 and $10,000. Taxpayer money will not be used to fix it, but a fund has been set up to raise money.