8 of the worst celebrity tribute statues of all time – and the internet’s hilarious reactions to them: from Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Jackson to Shakira, Princess Diana and Britney Spears
- Kate Moss’ likeness became the largest man-made gold statue since ancient Egyptian times – unfortunately, her groin was the most prominent thing about it
- Melania Trump’s sculpture also raised eyebrows in Slovenia, with locals saying she looked more like Smurfette, while Andy Murray’s expression at the unveiling of his statue in Shanghai said it all
Surely there is no greater compliment as a celebrity or hometown hero than to have a permanent statue erected in your honour. At least, that’s the idea.
Despite these sculptors’ best efforts though, not everyone has fallen in love with their creations. Some famous people’s statues have appeared in art galleries, some in airports – still more in a celebrity’s own country to show them just how much they’re appreciated. But when all’s said and done, perhaps they’d have been better just naming a street after them …
Read on for eight of the most cringeworthy celebrity statue tributes to date.
1. Shakira
At the end of last year, Shakira’s hometown of Barranquilla in Colombia unveiled a giant 6.5-metre-tall (21ft 3 inches-tall) gold and red statue of the singer midway through a classic “Hips Don’t Lie” pose. The star was touched by the piece, which was designed by a local sculpture professor and his students. “This is too much for my little heart,” she wrote on social media.
However, some fans weren’t impressed by its sheer gaudiness. “Why does this remind me of something that would be in Zoolander?” one wrote on Reddit.
2. Andy Murray
Andy Murray looked as bemused as everyone else when the Shanghai Rolex Masters presented him with a life-size sculpture of him as a terracotta warrior. Even the host at the unveiling said it looked more like 17th century physicist Isaac Newton than the three-time grand slam champion, as seen in a video of the event.
3. Melania Trump
US artist Brad Downey commissioned this wooden carving of the former first lady to be erected in her home country of Slovenia. The sculptor, known as Maxi, opted for a somewhat abstract representation that went down like a lead balloon with locals. One resident told ITV news: “It doesn’t look anything like Melania. It’s a Smurfette. It’s a disgrace.”
When an unknown arsonist burned the statue down a year later, some netizens joked it was probably Melania herself who lit the match.