Terrifier’s Art the Clown star David Howard Thornton calls for help after friend is ‘kidnapped’ by ICE

David Howard Thornton, best known for his iconic portrayal of Art the Clown in the Terrifier franchise, has made an emotional appeal to fans after his friend was reportedly detained by ICE.

Right now, Terrifier 4 is in development, with director and creator Damien Leone confirming that Art will be terrorising the characters over New Year’s Eve this time round. 

Thornton’s character might be known for ultra-violence, but in real life, the actor promotes the opposite, advocating for social causes across his social media pages.

On Thursday, August 8, he posted a crowdfunding campaign for a woman named Helena, who was allegedly booked and sent to an ICE detention facility in California City after a routine trip from Austin to San Francisco. 

The Terrifier star wrote alongside the link, “ICE has unjustly kidnapped a friend and fan that I have met several times at conventions, Helena. She did absolutely nothing wrong. Her only crime was being from another country while visiting ours.”

“Fascism has come to America and it wears a red hat,” he added. 

Thornton also shared it on his Instagram page. The Chuffed.org campaign has just crossed the halfway mark of its $80,000 goal at the time of writing, with the actor saying, “Donate if you are able and continue to stand up against these monsters.”

The page listing gives more detail on what happened to Helena, who’s described as “one of the most precious people on this earth.”

“On Sunday, August 2, 2026, the unimaginable happened. Helena was flying from Austin to San Francisco – a routine trip, a normal day. But when she stepped off the plane, she was met by ICE agents waiting to detain her,” it reads. 

“Within 24 hours, she had been transferred and booked into an ICE detention facility in California City, where she now remains for the foreseeable future – her life abruptly halted by a system that is both corrupt and violent.”

Helena’s fiancé, Matt, and her closest friends said the money raised will be used to cover legal defense and immigration paperwork fees, detention commissary and inmate communication app costs, and apartment bills and living expenses while she is detained.

It will also help to care for her two beloved pets Karma and Luke, and any other unexpected expenses that may arise. 

Underneath his post, Thornton shared a photo of him dressed as Art alongside Helena at a fan convention.

Plenty of fans have expressed support for the post while commenting on the Terrifier franchise. “You should pass this on to Damien… if Terrifier 4 has ONE SCENE of Art wreaking havoc on some of these ICE f**kers, MILLIONS of fans would give it a standing ovation.”

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Featured image credit: Epic Pictures Releasing/David Howard Thornton/Facebook