Regrettable tattoos are far more common than you might think. That’s especially true for anyone who has gotten inked in honor of their significant other.
Fortunately, even if things fizzle out, there are ways to work around these pieces of body art. For some, like Pete Davidson, they go through a process of laser removal — a pricey but effective method. Many others, however, have simply covered them up with new tattoos that symbolize a new chapter of their life post-break up.
The 19 celebrities below gained major attention for getting tattoos of their S.O. at the time, and even more tabloid recognition once they opted to have them removed or covered up:
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Angelina Jolie had a tattoo on her left arm that read “Billy Bob” in honor of her then-husband, Billy Bob Thorton. When the couple divorced in 2003, she removed the tattoo and replaced it with the coordinates of her children’s birthplace.
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Similarly, Billy Bob Thorton had a tattoo that read “Angelina” that he covered up with an angel after they split. “I had it covered up with an angel and it says ‘Peace’. It’s like my way of saying ‘no hard feelings’,” he said about the modification.
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Melanie Griffith removed her tattoo of Antonio Banderas’s name after they called it quits in 2014. The tattoo featured Banderas’s first name and a heart-shaped design, which she later replaced with a crossword-style tat featuring her kids’ names, per PEOPLE.
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Eva Longoria had a few pieces on her body dedicated to her ex-husband, basketball player Tony Parker including his jersey number on her neck, their wedding date, and his initials. Once they split, she removed all three tattoos.
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Heidi Klum scrubbed her tattoo of singer Seal’s name from her forearm after the couple decided to part ways. The tattoo was a stylized design of Seal’s first name, along with the initials of their three children. While the tributes to their kids remained, Klum received treatment to have Seal’s name taken off her forearm.
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Marc Anthony got a “Jennifer” tattoo on his wrist to honor his then-wife Jennifer Lopez, only to cover it up once they divorced.
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Denise Richards once had Charlie Sheen’s first name tattooed on her ankle. After their divorce, she turned the tattoo into a fairy.
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Kat Von D had a portrait of her then-husband Jesse James as a child inked onto her rib cage. However, after splitting for good, she decided to get the portrait lasered off, per LA Times.
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Kylie Jenner inked a “T” to her ankle during her relationship with Tyga. She later altered it once they split to read “LA.”
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Justin Bieber had a tribute to his ex Selena Gomez tattooed on his wrist. Though he later tried to cover it with some shading, it’s still pretty recognizable.
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Zayn Malik dedicated a large portion of his upper arm to a cartoon tattoo of his ex-girlfriend Perrie Edwards. However, in 2016, he covered it up after their relationship fizzled.
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Though Amber Rose and Wiz Khalifa have remained cordial after their divorce, the model still went through with covering up the portrait of the “Black and Yellow” rapper she once had on her arm. It’s now replaced with what appears to be a portrait of Guns & Roses member Slash.
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Kaley Cuoco’s upper back included a tattoo of her wedding date to Ryan Sweeting. However, she later got it covered with a tattoo of a moth.
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Nick Cannon proudly adorned a tattoo of Mariah Carey’s name on his back during their relationship, though he has since replaced it with a crucifix.
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Malin Akerman had a “Z” on her wrist for ex-husband Roberto Zincone. After their split, she altered it to an “S” to represent her son Sebastian.
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During their relationship, Nas inked Kelis’s nude torse on his arm. However, he later covered it up with an image of a lion once he confirmed they were done.
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Pamela Anderson had “Tommy” inked on her ring finger for her ex-husband Tommy Lee. She altered it to read “Mommy after their divorce.
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Jennifer Lopez had an infinity symbol with “Jennifer” and “Ben” inked on her ribcage for Ben Affleck. Following their divorce filing in August 2024, she appeared without the tattoo at a September 2024 red carpet event, suggesting its removal.
What are your thoughts on these celeb tattoos, cover-ups, and removals? Share in in the comments.
