Steve-O could face charges for SeaWorld sign prank
Steve-O, one of the stars of the TV show “Jackass,” could face criminal charges after he defaced a San Diego highway sign with a green banner that left it reading: “SeaWorld Sucks,” officials said on Thursday (Aug 21).
In a video that was posted online on Aug 20, Steve-O is seen making several failed attempts over two days to climb the sign with a rope.
He finally uses a ladder and tapes the word "Sucks" over the word ‘Drive."
Photo: YouTube screen capture/ steveo
(We're not including the video because he flashed a naughty sign towards the end of the video)
Guess what? The California Department of Transportation agreed with the video’s title: “Breaking the Law”.
“We consider defacing public property at a cost to state taxpayers an unlawful act and a dangerous distraction for motorists,” the department said in a statement.
It said the sign needed replacing at a cost of more than $7,000 because the adhesive used had pulled off its reflective sheeting, and it said it was referring all information about the case to the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
The prank follows last year’s release of the documentary movie “Blackfish,” which makes a case against keeping Orcas in captivity.
SeaWorld Entertainment Inc has called the documentary “inaccurate and misleading.”
The 40-year-old British-born actor, whose real name is Stephen Glover, encouraged supporters to share the two-minute film on social media using the hashtag #SeaworldSucks.
SeaWorld spokesman David Koontz said the organisation has no comment on the prank, which apparently took place in May.
Last week, amid the criticism, SeaWorld said it will nearly double the size of its San Diego killer whale tank and expand similar enclosures in Florida and Texas.
Source: Reuters, YouTube
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