13 Celebrities Who Have Sentimental Stories Behind Their Tattoos

A study revealed that the primary reason why people get tattoos, is to mark an important experience or memory in their lives. And tattoos as art or as an expression of one’s self, are usually just a secondary motivation. Here are some celebrities who decided to ink their bodies to celebrate or commemorate a significant part of their existence.

1. Tom Hardy’s tattoo about Leo DiCaprio

In 2016, Hardy bet Leonardo DiCaprio that he (Hardy) wouldn’t win an Oscar for his role in The Revenant. However, Leo disagreed and was right about it. Eventually, Tom not only won the award but also ended up with a new tattoo that says, ’Leo Knows All’ on his arm.

2. John Legend and Chrissy Teigen’s name tattoos

Kids have a permanent place in their parents’ hearts, and in this case, a permanent place on their parents’ skin too. Legend’s tattoo indicates his family’s names — “Chrissy Luna Miles,” — and Teigen has the same, but with “John.” Unfortunately, the couple lost their third child, Jack, due to a miscarriage. And to remember him, the model marked his name on her wrist, just above their existing family badge.

3. Jason Momoa’s scribble tattoo

Shirtless photos of the Aquaman actor reveal not just his abs and pectoral muscles, but also what looks like red scribbles on his chest. This is apparently a tattoo to celebrate his kids with his ex-wife, Lisa Bonet. He asked his daughter Lola and his son Nakoa-Wolf to draw their signatures. And then he used their handwritten autographs as a pattern for the tat, which he placed close to his heart.

4. Miley Cyrus’ dog tattoo

The music artist is no stranger to getting tattoos and has dozens of them. But 2 of them are dedicated to her dogs Mary Jane and Emu so she can keep them with her forever.

5. Rihanna’s chest tattoo

Rihanna seems to be a fan of tattoos since it’s a great way for her to express her personal style. The singer has one big tattoo on her chest illustrating the wingspan of the Egyptian Goddess Isis, who serves as an example of the ideal mother and wife. She got this tattoo to memorialize her beloved grandmother.

6. Emma Stone’s bird footprints

Emma Stone’s tattoo of bird footprints on her wrist is a tribute to her mother, who was fighting breast cancer and finally won. The footprints represent her mom’s favorite song, “Blackbird” by Paul McCartney, and the singer even designed the tattoo himself. Now the actress and her mom proudly wear their cute but meaningful matching tattoos.

7. Joe Jonas’ portrait tattoo

Celebrity couple Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner both got tattoos in honor of their grandparents before they were married. While Turner got a minimalist one on her pinky finger, Jonas opted for a more elaborate one — he replicated his “PaPa Miller’s” vintage photo, and the resemblance is amazing.

8. Kevin Jonas’ gown tattoo

Kevin Jonas has gained some major points for getting a tattoo of his wife on his arm. Comparing the tattoo to a screenshot from his band’s latest music video, Kevin revealed that he is proud of what’s happening in his life and he’s glad that he gets to remember it with his wife. That’s some real husband material right there!

9. Lea Michele’s minimalist tattoos

In memory of her co-star, and love of her life, Lea Michele has several tattoos dedicated to Cory Montieth. They include a number “5” on her rib cage which was the number of Cory’s jersey in Glee, “Finn,” the name of the character Cory played on her hip, and his last words to her, “If you say so,” are all inked on Lea’s body.

10. Katy Perry’s meaningful tattoos

On her Instagram account, Katy Perry explained her tattoo of the planet Saturn located on her forearm. Her intention was to memorialize a trip taken a while ago that gave her many life lessons. Sometime later, she would tattoo herself again but on her finger, after celebrating her show at the 49th Super Bowl.

11. Lady Gaga’s musical tattoo

Lady Gaga wanted to pay tribute to the musical A Star Is Born with 2 tattoos, one of them being a pentagram. However, she made a mistake by featuring only 4 lines of the pentagram, something she managed to correct right away.

12. Bindi Irwin’s wildlife tattoo

In an Instagram post, the Crocodile Hunter’s daughter shared that she inked “Graceful Warrior” in her father’s handwriting, to keep his memory with her forever. She also imprinted an alligator on her skin, which represents her pet, Daisy, and her work in wildlife conservation.

13. Dax Shepard’s bell tattoo

When Kristen Bell’s hubby appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the host noticed a tiny emblem on Shepard’s ring finger. When she asked him about it, the comedian admitted that he isn’t fond of wearing jewelry, and jokingly said that he still felt obliged to warn women that he was taken. So he went for an unconventional wedding band — a symbolic tattoo of his wife’s surname.

Do you think that tattoos have to have special meanings or can they just look nice? Tell us about the meaning of your tattoos if you have any.