Tattoos are meant to be a symbol of expression whether it’s pain, love or something even deeper. Yet, even with money, fame and fortune, some famous celebrities still fall victim to bad body art. And unlucky for them, the pictures are posted all over the Internet; so, even if they get a cover-up or laser-removal (ouch!), they’ll always be reminded of their crazy tattoos.
To find out what not to do when getting inked, take a look at the top 20 worst celebrity tattoos of all time…
1. Cheryl Cole
After fighting off malaria, the British pop star decided to cover her lower back and bum in her favorite flower – a rose. The tattoo might symbolise strength for the Geordie star, but we’re sure there are better ways to celebrate recovery than going under the needle for 15 hours!
2. Steve O
Talking about being your own biggest fan! Steve O has his very own face tattooed across his back. While he’s known for his bad and offensive behavior, we fear that the prankster went too far with this tattoo fail!
3. Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson’s tribal tat has become just as famous as his boxing skills, but it doesn’t mean that it’s a fashion status. Rather, Tyson confirmed that he wanted his iconic ink to give him that ‘warrior status’ that he’s known for. We think his face art just made people more intimidated of him, instead.
4. Ed Sheeran
Known for his quirky style and colourful collection of tattoos, Ed Sheeran honoured his love for ketchup when he inked himself with a Heinz bottle on his arm. We think that he may have taken his adoration for the condiment a little too far!
5. Kat Von D
Getting a portrait permanently inked is risky business – and being a tattoo artist, Kat Von D should have known better when she got a portrait of her ex as a child on her thigh. After a cheating scandal, Kat wanted any resemblance of her ex removed – and luckily – she knew the very best tattoo laser removal surgeon to do the job.
6. T-Pain
This celeb tattoo is definitely missing the ‘cool factor’. We think that singer and songwriter, T-Pain missed a beat when he decided to get a Facebook inspired tattoo. This funny ink would be better suited to Mark Zuckerburg, but he wouldn’t be that naïve, would he?!
7. Ariana Grande
To celebrate her new single, 7 Rings, Ariana Grande got a Japanese inspired tattoo. Unlucky for her, the outrageous tattoo actually meant shichirin: a small charcoal grill. What a major fail and embarrassing mess! Thankfully, the singer managed to later correct it.
8. Miley Cyrus
From Miley’s pets to hearts and dreamcatchers – some of this singer’s tattoos are pretty normal – except this one! We would expect nothing less than one – or a dozen – bad tattoos from this crazy pop princess! Yet, Miley still managed to stun us with the sad kitty emoji tatted on the inside of her lip. That’s one way to get tongues wagging!
9. Chris Brown
A few years after his assault on his ex, Rihanna, Chris Brown received further backlash when a new tattoo of a beaten girl popped up on his neck. Although the resemblance is clear, Chris confirmed that his tattoo is of a sugar skull, which is associated with the Mexican celebration of the Day of Death.
10. Kesha
Another artist that opted for a cryptic mouth tat is pop star, Kesha. While she intended to tell the haters to ‘do one’, we’re not sure that the message was made clear as she got the words ‘suck it!’ tattooed on the inside of her lip. Better off sticking to a meme next time…
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11. Karrueche Tran
Having a fondness of shocking tattoos is something that Karrueche has in common with her ex, Chris Brown. We can’t seem to understand the meaning of the zipper on the back of her right thigh. Can you?
12. Post Malone
99% of the world’s population is always tired, but you don’t see us writing home about it. Yet, someone who wanted to make a very loud statement is none other than Post Malone. The rapper later revealed that he’s not actually always tired. Instead, he just wanted to wind his mom up with what is possibly one of the worst celebrity tattoos of all time!
13. 6ix9ine
Another rapper that has a fondness for face art is 6ix9ine. While people usually tattoo numbers in memory of a specific date, the controversial rapper likes the number 69 as it symbolises two different perspectives. Additionally, the spider-web on his cheek relates to his time in prison, otherwise known as the spider being trapped in a cell. While his tattoos have a deep meaning, his appearance has become a major focal point in the press with his face ink being the centre of it all.
14. Drake
As a nod to his Twitter handle at the time (@drakkardnoir), Drake got a cologne bottle tattooed on his shoulder. Sadly, it’s no scratch and sniff, but rather a random representation of his social media account.
15. Cara Delevinge
Bacon is often rated as the best cured meat; no matter how you cook it, it tastes delicious. But Cara Delevinge took her love of bacon a little too far when she got it tatted in maroon on the bottom of her foot!
16. Rihanna
Rihanna is known for a lot of great tattoos, like the Egyptian goddess Isis inked underneath her breast in memory of her late grandma. But, like many other celebs, she fell victim to a bad translation. When getting a French tattoo on her neck, she dreamt of the words ‘rebellious flower’ (fleur rebelle), instead she came out of the tattoo parlour with “rebelle fleur” which translates to “rebel flower”.
17. Justin Bieber
With the best years still ahead of him, Justin Bieber decided to express that with the words ‘Better at 70’ tattooed on his thigh. While this might seem very odd considering his age, there’s actually a good meaning behind it; with this ink, Justin wants to remember to always work on being the best version of himself – and by 70 – he should achieve it!
18. Lady Gaga
This controversial star is decorated in questionable tattoos, but one that really catches the eye is the scripture written in German on her bicep. The passage is taken from one of Gaga’s favorite poems and translates to ‘Confess to yourself in the deepest hour of the night whether you would have to die if you were forbidden to write. Dig deep into your heart, where the answer spreads its roots in your being, and ask yourself solemnly, Must I write?’. She confirms that she did this to remind herself to never give up on her talent. Great message, but rather messy ink, wouldn’t you say?
19. Blac Chyna
Known for her potty mouth, it’s no surprise that Blac Chyna tattooed the word ‘F*ck” on her armpit. We sense that the F-bomb was inked to send a clear message to her ex, Robert Kardashian, or any of the Kardashian clan for that matter. Trashy or nah?
20. Zayn Malik
Another celeb that didn’t learn that love and tattoos don’t go together is heartthrob, Zayn Malik. During a fairytale romance, Zayn got a huge tattoo of his then-fiancé, Perrie Edwards on his arm. After their dramatic split, of course, Zayn was left with the lasting memory of Perrie. Lucky for him, he got a quick meeting with Sketch from Tattoo Fixers and acquired a good cover-up.
So, there you have it! A foolproof list of what not to do next time you’re thinking of getting inked.
Let us know which of these bad celebrity tattoos made you gasp the most by commenting in the section below!
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