Melania Trump Effigy as Spider's Prey Sparks Outrage on Upper East Side
An artist created a Halloween display featuring a spider consuming an effigy resembling the former First Lady, drawing mixed reactions and commentary on plastic surgery.
A controversial Halloween sculpture depicting an effigy of former First Lady Melania Trump being devoured by a spider has appeared outside a $12.5 million townhouse on New York City's Upper East Side, sparking local discussion and commentary from its creator.
The effigy, created by artist Kevin Hyman, features a figure resembling Trump cocooned in a spider's web, with a large spider appearing to consume it. The display also includes a sign that reads "I REALLY DON'T sCARE," a play on the controversial "I really don't care. Do you?" Zara jacket Trump wore in 2018 while visiting a migrant children's center on the U.S.-Mexico border. Hyman stated the sign was a reference to the jacket, which Trump later claimed in her memoir was aimed at the media.
Hyman, 67, told the Daily Mail that he assembled the sculpture in approximately 20 minutes for his own amusement, using a furry spider toy from Target and a cocoon purchased online. He found a mask of Melania Trump's face on the sidewalk five years prior, which he has used in other displays. He noted that the Upper East Side is known for its elaborate Halloween decorations, with neighbors also transforming their homes with spooky themes.
The artist also made pointed remarks about the former First Lady's appearance, telling the Daily Mail, "She's had so much plastic surgery, I imagine she doesn't feel anything anyway." He added that he did not intend for the piece to carry a specific political message, stating, "I think people can take their own message from it."
The display has drawn a range of reactions from those who have seen it, with some viewing it as a humorous Halloween prank and others deeming it disrespectful to the former First Lady. The effigy has been dangling over Manhattan's East 81st Street since Tuesday.