Ronald McDonald: Scary Clowns Lead To Hiatus for McDonald's Figure

Ronald McDonald is responding to scary clowns reported across the U.S. and internationally by taking a hiatus and limiting appearances for McDonald's restaurants.

“McDonald’s and franchisees in the local markets are mindful of the current climate around clown sightings in communities and as such are being thoughtful in respect to Ronald McDonald’s participation in community events for the time being,” spokeswoman Terri Hickey said in an emailed statement, according to NBC News.

The announcement comes after weeks of reported scary clown sightings in many places across the United States that have left many Americans terrified, and have even led to some arrests, The Washington Post noted.

According to the New York Daily News, there have been both real and fake reports about the violence of individuals dressed in these creepy clown outfits.

The clown sightings began circulating in August, when South Carolina residents in Greenville County complained to authorities about people dressed like clowns “trying to lure children in the woods,” said the property manager of an apartment complex in Greenville, according to The Washington Post.

Since those first sightings, reports have spread to states like North Carolina, Alabama and Kentucky. Police have even received complaints internationally, The Washington Post noted.

In the United Kingdom, authorities have responded to dozens of clown sightings, including one in northeast England, where a man dressed as a clown allegedly followed four children to school while carrying a knife, CNN reported.

“We believe this to be part of a much larger prank which is currently sweeping across the USA and parts of the UK,” Durham neighborhood Sgt. Mel Sutherland said in a statement to CNN.

The renowned McDonald’s mascot has appeared in commercials and thousands of different locations for decades, and the global figure still appears in the name of Ronald McDonald House Charities, which receives its best corporate donations from McDonald’s, the New York Daily News noted.

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