Regrettable Tattoos

When we say we’ll “never forget” a deceased loved one, we should do just that: Never forget. But is permanent body art the way to go?

When Lea Michele, 29, an actress on the popular Fox show “Glee,” showed off her nude body in the latest issue of Women’s Health U.K., fans noticed a particular tattoo on her behind. Her tattoo reads “Finn” after her late ex-boyfriend and “Glee” star Cory Monteith, known for his role as Finn Hudson.

Denise Richards turned the “Charlie” tattoo on her ankle — for ex Charlie Sheen — into a fairy.

It may seem odd to use the name of the character her boyfriend played rather than his real name on the tattoo. But even after the death of a lover, our hearts do learn to love again. And when we do love again, whether it be months or years later, do we want our new loves facing our old loves on our body parts?

Many celebs have found themselves having to remove or alter ink they got on behalf of their exes. Johnny Depp, for instance, had “Winona Forever” inked on his right shoulder for then-fiancée Winona Ryder. Years later, he altered it to say “Wino Forever.”

Before there was Brad Pitt, Billy Bob Thornton’s name was emblazoned on Angelina Jolie’s left shoulder. She later lasered off his name and placed over it the geographical coordinates of all of the places where her adopted and natural children came from. Locations included Cambodia, Ethiopia, and Namibia.

In 2014, Jolie told Radio Times her kids have asked about getting their own tattoos. “How do I say ‘No?'” she asked, when her own body art includes foreign language sayings, a cross, and Bengal tiger.

In Hollywood, many actresses have to use body makeup to cover tattoos for various film scenes. Tattoos can be distracting on the big screen and add an element about the movie character or film scene that confuses the viewer about the plot.

Actress Melanie Griffith displayed her love for husband Antonio Banderas on her arm during the 1990s. Now, when she is seen in public, the word “Antonio” is noticeably erased from her arm.

[lz_third_party includes=”https://twitter.com/detal_Magazine/status/596305380071886848″ width=”630px”]

Two years after “Desperate Housewives” star Eva Longoria divorced basketball player Tony Parker, she removed all three tattoos that represented her former husband — including tattoos of his jersey number and their wedding date.

[lz_table title=”Tattoos, by Generation” source=”Pew Research Center 2010″]Percentage Who Have Tattoos
All polled,23%
Millennial (18-29),38%
Gen X (30-45),32%
Boomer (46-65),15%
Silent (65+),6%

[/lz_table]

Some don’t entirely remove tattoos but alter them with other tattoos or variations of the tattoo.

Singer Marc Anthony covered his tattoo with another tattoo that honored his ex-wife Jennifer Lopez.

Denise Richards turned the “Charlie” tattoo on her ankle — for ex Charlie Sheen — into a fairy.

Honoring the people we love can be a beautiful and thoughtful gesture — but it’s a good idea to rethink the ink with a name. You never know what that name might mean to you or significant others in the years and decades to come.