A Father Covered in 240 Tattoos Faces Backlash Online — His Family Sees Only Love

Body art can be a powerful form of self-expression, but stepping outside society’s norms often invites judgment. Richard Huff, a 51-year-old tattoo enthusiast with more than 240 tattoos, has faced this firsthand. He revealed that online trolls frequently label him a “monster” and even question his parenting, simply because of his heavily tattooed appearance.

Introducing Richard Huff, a self-described “ink addict.”

Richard Huff, a 51-year-old father with a passion for tattoos, opened up about the negative reactions he receives. He and his wife, Marita, are raising seven children together, and to them, life feels perfectly normal. However, because Richard’s body is heavily covered in tattoos, strangers online often ridicule their family.

Richard got his very first tattoo at just 17 years old. “It became an addiction, I started with my legs and worked my way up,” he recalled. Today, roughly 85% of his body is tattooed — from meaningful designs like his children’s names to a print of his daughter’s lips.

Looking ahead, Richard has no plans to slow down. “I want to be 100% covered in tattoos, probably within the next four years,” he shared. “I don’t know if it’s the pain or the artwork that you put on you, but it just becomes fascinating when you’re able to do this.”

His tattoos often lead his children’s friends to call him “scary.”

Richard’s passion for tattoos hasn’t come without challenges. He admits that children at his kids’ school can sometimes be intimidated by his heavily inked appearance. His daughter explained, “They say, ’ah it’s a bit scary’ and I say ’no, my dad is not scary, he is good with tattoos.’”

Even his wife, Marita, shared that she once felt the same way. “I did judge Richard based on his looks at first, but as I got to know him a little bit, he is actually a big-hearted person,” she confessed.

Despite the criticism surrounding his appearance, Richard makes it clear that his tattoos don’t interfere with being an involved and loving parent. “I participate in the PTA, I go to all my kids’ functions,” he explained.

While online critics often leave harsh remarks — one person wrote, “I’m not against tattoos, but I mean honestly, does he really need tattoos on his face like that?” — many others step in to defend him. As one supporter commented, “Everyone keeps talking about his face tattoo. He likes it. He got it. He’s a good father. Let him be.”

Even though Richard encounters negativity, he refuses to let the criticism hold him back.

“If somebody can make negative comments like that, there’s something wrong with them themselves that they would have to judge somebody else,” Richard said. “This is what we did, and we’re happy. We’ve been together six years, our kids are happy and to us, that’s all that matters.”

Although the online criticism can sometimes be harsh, Richard insists it doesn’t shake his devotion to his family. “Having tattoos does not scare my children, it does not make me a bad father, it makes my kids get a different perspective on life.”

Richard isn’t alone in his journey—his wife Marita has been his biggest supporter. She often posts photos of them together online, proudly standing by his side with captions like “Never judge a book by its cover.” Marita shares her husband’s love for tattoos and even has her own, showing that she fully embraces his passion. For her, Richard’s ink doesn’t define who he is—it’s his kindness, loyalty, and love for their family that truly matter.

Richard with makeup covering his tattoos.

Here you can learn the story of a woman whose face was covered in tattoos against her will.