Whether they're solely decorative or serve a deeper purpose, tattoos can be a beautiful means of expression when done right. Unfortunately, despite their fortune and connections, many celebrities seem to have missed the memo about researching their artists and having someone they trust give their tattoo idea a thumbs up before putting it on their body permanently.
From prison-style stick-and-pokes to the bizarre and badly drawn, these terrible celebrity tattoos will make you grateful for your own ink, or lack thereof. And when you want to see celebrities in an even worse light, check out the 30 Worst Madame Tussauds Celebrity Wax Figures Ever.
1 | Louis Tomlinson
ShutterstockOne Direction star Louis Tomlinson has an already-played game of Tic Tac Toe on his arm. And for more bizarre celeb news, check out the 20 Craziest Celebrity Rumors of All Time.
2 | Birdman
ShutterstockYes, rapper Birdman walks around with this star-studded dome. And for more celebrity news, check out the 30 Best Celebrity Baby Names.
3 | Pamela Anderson
ShutterstockJust like her 90s action-flick "Barbed Wire," Pamela Anderson's barbed wire arm band hasn't withstood the test of time. And for more Hollywood fun facts, don't miss the 30 Celebrity Names You're Mispronouncing.
4 | Mike Tyson
ShutterstockThis tribal art on Mike Tyson's face has become nearly as famous as the boxer himself.
5 | Megan Fox
ShutterstockMegan Fox's back tattoo is poorly-paraphrased Shakespeare.
6 | Melanie Griffith
ShutterstockThe tattoo Melanie Griffith got for Antonio Banderas lasted way longer than the relationship, unfortunately.
7 | Christina Ricci
ShutterstockChristina Ricci's back is adorned with this funny-looking lion.
8 | Mena Suvari
ShutterstockThe better part of Mena Suvari's upper back is covered in this tattoo, reading "Word Sound Power."
9 | Sophia Bush
ShutterstockSophia Bush has something that resembles a WiFi strength indicator on her arm. If you're feeling too connected to your own digital devices, These 11 Easy Ways to Conquer Your Smartphone Addiction can help.
10 | Scarlett Johansson
ShutterstockScarlett Johansson made the strange choice to decorate her forearm with this sunset.
11 | Steveo
ShutterstockWhat's on Steveo's back? A self-portrait and the words, "Yeah dude, I rock!"
12 | Jodie Marsh
ShutterstockBritish glamor Jodie Marsh has covered her arm in seemingly unrelated black-and-white tattoos.
13 | Kelly Osbourne
ShutterstockKelly Osbourne proudly sports this lock, key, and the word "Daddy."
14 | Nick Cassavetes
ShutterstockNick Cassavetes, director of The Notebook, has his ex-wife's name tattooed on his neck.
15 | Hayden Panettiere
Jaguar PS/ShutterstockHayden Panettiere's tattoo was meant to say "live without regrets," but it's regrettably misspelled. Hayden's tattoo isn't the only scandalous part of her life—her 14 year age gap with hubby Wladimir Klitschko could earn her a spot on our list of the 20 Celebrity Couples With Huge Age Gaps!
16 | Bai Ling
ShutterstockBai Ling's back bears this image of a cheetah chasing a rose.
17 | Audrina Patridge
ShutterstockAudrina Patridge sports this oversized snake wrapped around an apple on her neck.
18 | Shia LaBeouf
ShutterstockShia LaBeouf's fingers read "071 Crew" and give a shoutout to Bakersfield, California.
19 | Ed Sheeran
ShutterstockEd Sheeran perplexingly adorned his arm with two faceless people getting down.
20 | David Beckham
ShutterstockThe tattoo running down the center of David Beckham's forearm is supposed to be his wife's name in Hindi, but it's misspelled. Bad ink or not, David sure makes his 40s look good—as do the 40 Coolest Celebs Over 40!
21 | Lena Headey
ShutterstockGame of Thrones star Lena Headey's back is covered in faded flowers and one big bird. If you want to round the corner into your forties looking youthful like Lena, discover the 20 Secrets of Ageless Celebrities!
22 | Lil Wayne
ShutterstockLil' Wayne has three teardrop tattoos, prison shorthand for the number of people someone has killed.
23 | Rihanna
ShutterstockRihanna's French neck tattoo says "flower rebel" instead of "rebellious flower."
24 | Amanda Seyfried
ShutterstockAmanda Seyfried has British slang for vagina tattooed on her foot.
25 | Lady Gaga
ShutterstockLady Gaga's back is decorated with these less-than-professional-looking pieces.
26 | Snooki
ShutterstockJersey Shore star Snooki has this very angry-looking winged cat on her upper arm.
27 | Soulja Boy
ShutterstockSoulja Boy's face is loaded with luxury logos. He has the Bentley logo on his temple and the Gucci logo between his eyes.
28 | Rita Ora
ShutterstockRita Ora has this less-than-fresh-looking flower on her hand.
29 | Angelina Jolie
ShutterstockAt one point in time, Angelina had this tribute to Billy Bob Thornton inked on her arm. Angie's ink is far from her only claim to fame, however—she's also half of one of the 20 Onscreen Couples Who Dated Off-Screen!
30 | Chris Brown
ShutterstockYou may or may not recall that Chris Brown violently abused his one-time girlfriend Rihanna. Here, you'll see that he appears to have a tattoo of a woman with a black eye.
To discover more amazing secrets about living your best life, click here to sign up for our FREE daily newsletter!
