TFiOS fans, this is so not “okay.” The green bench that Hazel and Gus cuddle and kiss on (and spoiler alert: where Gus reveals his cancer has come back) has vanished from Amsterdam. A major tourist attraction for fans of the book and film, the missing bench is making our hearts break all over again.
It’s been gone for more than a month, but no one has noticed until this week — possibly because someone put a large flower pot in its place.
So who took it? Rabid fans? Delinquents? Those who lived nearby and were unhappy with the increased tourism the film brought to the neighborhood? The city hasn’t ruled any of these possibilities out. It could have even been the local government itself, which may have taken the bench away for repairs.
“It’s a bit embarrassing, because we do keep good track of them, but it’s gone all right,” says city spokesman Stephan van der Hoek said.
The Fault in Our Stars fans had asked about the MIA bench, especially since a map of the city marked with prominent locations from the movie had begun to circulate.
Fortunately, the city has said it will replace the bench with an identical one in the coming weeks. But in the meantime, van der Hoek joked, “Keep your eyes on eBay.”