Celebrity Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them

Celebrity tattoos. They’ve become so commonplace that it's almost rare to see a celebrity who doesn't have one peeking out from their sleeve or their gown.

But have you ever stopped to wonder about your favorite star's tats? What they mean, why they're there, or how they've affected lives and careers? Sometimes, the stories surrounding these markings are more interesting than the designs themselves.
We researched a slew of our favorite celebrities to bring you the tales behind their tattoos. Have a look below.

Angelina Jolie

Jolie sports a variety of tattoos all over her body, but perhaps her most famous markings are on her left shoulder. What was once a loving tribute to her second husband Billy Bob Thornton (complete with a dragon) was removed to make room for a list of geographic coordinates. These coordinates, of which there are seven, correspond with the birthplaces of each of her children (Cambodia for Maddox, Vietnam for Pax, Ethiopia for Zahara, Namibia for Shiloh and France for twins Vivienne and Knox) along with the birthplace of her partner (Pitt was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma).

Katy Perry

In addition to the singer’s many tattoos, which include a strawberry on her ankle and the word “Jesus” on her wrist, Katy Perry bears the phrase “Anuugacchati Pravaha” on her inner bicep. The words, which she and ex-husband Russell Brand both inked on themselves during happier times, roughly translate to “go with the flow” from Sanskrit. “That's our motto,” Katy once said in an interview with the QMI agency. “We decided to get it after all the whole engagement in India, which was really beautiful and wonderful. He'd never had a tattoo and I kind of pressured him into doing it.”

Rihanna

Every time we turn around, it seems Rihanna has a new tattoo. One of her most visible is located underneath her right clavicle, reading "Never a failure. Always a lesson." As Rihanna explained during an interview on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," it's printed backwards so she can read it whenever she looks into a mirror. "It's basically saying that it's OK to make a mistake," she added. "Just don't make them twice."

Victoria Beckham

Spice Girl and fashionista Victoria Beckham got "Ani ledodi vedodi li haro'eh ba'shoshanim" tattooed on her neck to commemorate her sixth wedding anniversary with soccer star David Beckham (who inked the very same phrase on his forearm). The Hebrew quote, taken from the Old Testament, translates to "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine, who grazes among lilies."

David Beckham

David Beckham has more tattoos than we can count, but one particular design caused a stir in March of 2012. A provocative forearm tattoo of Victoria Beckham adorned with the vow "Til death us do part" (originally David's way of showcasing his marital commitment) popped up in promotional posters for Sainsbury's Active Kids initiative, which is aimed at preschool-aged children. David is currently an ambassador for the program, but some folks were none too pleased when his image — complete with a visible tattoo of his scantily-clad wife — was distributed to 47,000 schools and community groups throughout the United Kingdom.

By : foxnews