Former tattoo artist Kat Von D expressed her loss of interest in the art form that earned her fame, giving insights into her controversial blackout body transformation. Moreover, the inked icon opened up about her new professional life, focusing on her career in the music industry.

The 42-year-old entrepreneur explained that she started the blackout process after reaching out to tattoo artist Hoode via Instagram, subsequently inviting him to her studio to tattoo her forearm.

As per Hoode’s Instagram, the tattoo artist specializes in blackout, permanently inking people’s entire body parts.

According to My Tatouage, blackout tattoo meanings are not always linked to the dark or even negative side of things. Although, at first glance, it may look like that, it can also be an expression of deep grief for someone who has passed away (it is like wearing black at funerals). 

Former tattoo artist Kat Von D expressed her loss of interest in the art form that earned her fame

Image credits: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images

The website dedicated to permanent body art notes that some people choose to wear black tattoos as an expression of some things that happened in their past that they don’t want to forget.

Blackout tattoos can also carry meanings like mystery, secret, magic, and darkness, as opposed to white ink, which is often thought to mean purity and innocence.

However, Kat was simply over her famous body art pieces, as she told Inked Magazine in a feature published on July 3: “I think I had been fed up with a lot of the tattoos I got over the years for a long time.”

Image credits: Wil R/Star Max/GC Images

The mom-of-one continued: “I just couldn’t explain how satisfying it was to see all the messes he would clean up with his blackout tattoo work.

“I think at that time I thought I would just black out an arm, but shortly after, I knew I would end up tattooing my whole body.” 

Kat reportedly said that she knew it was a controversial practice, which she “kind of digs, embracing her role as an agent of chaos in the tattoo world,” Inked Magazine reported.

She gave insights into her controversial blackout body transformation

 

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A handful of celebrities have famously adhered to the painful and long blackout process, including Bring Me The Horizon’s lead vocalist Oli Sykes, retired mixed martial artist Aaron Chalmers, and Machine Gun Kelly.

And while a recent study suggested that tattoos could be a risk factor for cancer, medical expert Dr. Timothy Pearman told Bored Panda in May: “As a heavily tattooed person myself, as well as from a scientific perspective, I’m not worried about the impact of tattoos on lymphoma risk and think much more research would need to be done before assuming that tattooing has any impact whatsoever on cancer risk.” 

Kat’s blackout tattoo has only been a fraction of her recent metamorphosis, as she has not only stopped tattooing, sold her makeup line, moved to rural Indiana, USA, and started attending church regularly, but she has also launched her debut album Love Made Me Do It in 2021.

 

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The synth-pop record features the Mexican-American artist’s vocals and songwriting skills, with collaborations from industry legends like Dave Grohl, Linda Perry, Peter Murphy, and Danny Lohner, Inked Magazine reported.

“Music has always been my biggest passion, but I think I let a decade or two get consumed by filming TV shows and running my old makeup line,” Kat admitted.

Kat amassed fame in 2005 when she was cast in TLC’s Miami Ink. After two seasons, she landed her own spinoff, LA Ink.

Moreover, the inked icon opened up about her new professional life focusing on her career in the music industry

Image credits: katvond

She told Inked Magazine: “I don’t necessarily regret all the little empires I’ve built over the years, but there is a part of me that wishes I had released my music a lot sooner.”

Over the past decade, the former reality TV star found herself in a few scandals. In 2017, photographer Jeff Sedlik sued Kat for inking a portrait tattoo that was inspired by a photo he took in 1989 of jazz legend Miles Davis, as per the tattoo lifestyle digital media company.

The Nuevo León native reportedly contended the lawsuit was merely the photographer’s effort to receive “his 15 minutes of fame — and a fat paycheck.” After a contentious two-year legal battle, a jury ruled in Kat’s favor in 2019.

Image credits: katvond

She told Inked Magazine: “I know first-hand what it feels like to be ripped off by people, and there’s not one part of me that believes tattooing fan art is a crime.

“I’m just so grateful that the jurors took their time and unanimously agreed. 

“I have a feeling setting precedence like that will only help tattooers and other artists in the future.”

The 42-year-old entrepreneur explained that she started the blackout process after reaching out to tattoo artist Hoode via Instagram

 

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A post shared by Kat Von D (@thekatvond)

Nevertheless, the lawsuit took its toll on the starlet, who admitted: “I lost weight, I lost hair, and I lost many nights of sleep over it.

“As much as I knew this person didn’t deserve a penny from me, there were times that I wanted to settle just to make it stop. 

“But I knew if I didn’t fight, the damage to the tattoo industry and other artists would be so immense, that I couldn’t live with myself.”

Image credits: jfizzy/Star Max/GC Images

Kat has now settled for a simpler life with her husband, Rafael Reyes, as she explained: “I traded the city life for a simple life in rural Indiana in the middle of nowhere, and I love it.

“We bought a nice piece of land where we plan to set up our homestead soon, once the renovation of our Victorian home is done.”

The recording artist reportedly said that she found immense joy in homeschooling her son, which is how she begins most days. 

“I think I had been fed up with a lot of the tattoos I got over the years for a long time,” Kat told Inked Magazine

 

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Additionally, she has joined a women’s Bible study and choir practice. Meanwhile, Kat has also been working on her new record, which is scheduled for release later in 2024.

She revealed: “It’s been a dream come true to finally get to release my music and go on tour with my bandmates.

“Playing my music live for people is exciting for me.”

As per Inked Magazine, Kat has invited pop songwriters like Ferras, who writes for Katy Perry and Dua Lipa, and Shari Short, who works with Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande, “into her goth world.”

“It’s her body, therefore her choice,” a reader commented

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