Tag: tattoo

Texas man finds tattoo artist online. Then he gets scammed out of $300: ‘So many people saying the same thing’

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Decades into the lifespan of the internet, “online” is still kind of the Wild West. Equal parts the perfect place to find small businesses and an unfortunate hotbed for scams, existing on the internet is as much of a coin flip as it is a thrill.

Enter one Texas man, JP, who just wanted a nice, simple tattoo. His quest for one landed him a nightmarish experience with a shady character, resulting in JP being out several hundred dollars.

And how did it all begin? TikTok, of course.

‘Be careful. I just got scammed’

In a video initially posted in Dec. 2025, which has since accumulated over 3.6 million views, JP (@jiggajp_) tells his TikTok audience about a stressful saga in which he allegedly got “scammed” by a TikTok tattoo artist.

“To yall out here trying to get a tattoo man,” JP begins in his video. “Be careful. I just got scammed.”

JP says his experience with this tattoo artist started innocently enough: A TikTok search.

“I was on TikTok trying to find me a tattoo artist in my local area … and I came across this dude with a good amount of following on his page,” JP says. “His name is Tattedbywiz. I hit him up and I texted him like, ‘Yo, I’m … trying to get tatted.”

JP shares that as far as he could tell, Tattedbywiz seemed legit based on his TikTok profile.

“Dude got his phone number up on his page and it’s been the consistent number on his page for a little while now,” JP shares. “So I’m thinking, OK, that’s a valid number. Valid dude all day.”

At that point, JP says he started messaging Tattedbywiz, who told him the tattoo was only going to cost $500. This seemed “normal” and was “really damn good” for the kind of tattoo JP was after.

But then came the catch.

“He said $300 for the tattoo deposit,” JP says. “Oh. $300 deposit for a $500 tattoo? That’s a little hefty, but … I’m not mad at it. OK, cool.”

JP says he sent Tattedbywiz the deposit, and admittedly felt “like a goofball for doing it,” but then Tattedbywiz escalated in response. Upon receiving JP’s deposit, Tattedbywiz immediately texted him saying that now he needs even more money.

“‘We gonna need $200 so we can … get this wrote off my taxes,”” JP says Tattedbywiz told him. “‘So we can get the supplies and the utensils’ … What … you need $200 for stencils and materials? You just got the $300 from my security deposit. What the [expletive]?”

But Tattedbywiz allegedly doubled down, repeating that he was going to “write off” the $200 and promising to send it back to JP after doing so. At this point, JP was deeply suspicious.

“I’ve done business with a good amount of people,” JP says. “Nobody’s ever took money, wrote it off,
sent it back. That’s just stupid as hell … I’m like, nah, man … I don’t really feel comfortable doing all that. Let me send it to you tomorrow first thing … Then the next day roll around, he hit me up like, ‘I sent you everything in the email and everything … All you need to do is just send me the rest of that payment
and we’ll get everything set up.”

Alas, there was no email in JP’s inbox.

Tattedbywiz insisted it must have gone to spam. JP could still see nothing. Tattebywiz tripled down. Still nothing.

“But then all the while, he’s still trying to press me making this payment,” JP says. “I’m like, yeah no …
this [expletive] is a scammer. I should have known.”

JP says he’d had a feeling this was a scam the night before, but he gave Tattedbywiz the benefit of the doubt because he “can be wrong” sometimes.

At this point, JP says he asked for the location of Tattedbywiz’s tattoo parlor. After a couple of hours, Tattedbywiz “finally” sent JP an address.

“I looked this mother[expletive] address up, it says some apartments,” JP says. “[Expletive] no, bro, I’m dead. That [expletive]’s over with. So I done politely asked dude, ‘Let me get a refund.’ That was the last message that done went through.”

And that was that. JP could no longer get through to him. Tattedbywiz allegedly took the money and ran.

Now, JP is trying to prevent others from meeting the same fate.

“Do you ever wanna get a tattoo?” JP finishes. “Do not go to Tattedbywiz. He is a scammer. He will take your [expletive] money. And the moment you ask for a refund, he gonna ghost … Be careful, ’cause it happened to me.”

@jiggajp_ Tattedbywiz is a scammer do not get a tattoo from him‼️#fyp ♬ original sound – Jp

Scams on scams

A cursory Internet search reveals this is not the time Tattedbywiz has been accused of “scamming.” A 2024 Instagram reel with its audio now removed shows screenshots of a Tattedbywiz customer requesting confirmation for an appointment that was paid for—confirmation which, allegedly, never came even though the payment was accepted.

Now, typing “tattedbywiz” into the TikTok search bar yields dozens of dummy accounts whose usernames are all variations of his username. As one viewer noted in the comments section of JP’s video, “that’s how scams work – you get a person, use their likeness and in this case can use their job to scam people out of $$$ easy peasy.”

Another viewer even began to theorize that Tattedbywiz himself was behind the dummy accounts, commenting, “It seem like he started creating new accounts, talking about ‘on this is my only page, the other is a scammer’ but it’s lit the same dude.”

Some less charitable commenters clowned JP for giving up his money so uncritically, with several pointing out what they deemed to be obvious red flags from the jump.

“Who looks on TikTok for an artist?” one viewer commented with a laughing emoji.

“$300 deposit?” another laughed. “Come on bro.”

“Soon as he said $200 for supplies, I would’ve been calling my bank asap,” another person commented.

“Well can i have 300 since you just giving it out?” someone joked.

As multiple viewers encouraged JP to “dispute” the charges and/or take legal action against Tattedbywiz, tattoo regulars and tattoo artists alike took to the comments to educate others on tattoo industry norms.

“As a licensed tattoo artist myself, there is no such thing as payment for supplies,” one person commented. “We already have that u just payin for the tattoo.”

“I am covered in tattoos and have never paid a deposit,” another wrote. “And to quote you $500 right off the bat?! Nope.”

Entities like City National Bank, the VA, and the FTC all offer guidelines on how social media users can protect themselves from online scams. While scam victims are often conceptualized as the elderly in the public imagination, the FTC reports that “scams on social media are a problem for people of all ages, but the numbers are most striking for younger people. In the first six months of 2023, in reports of money lost to fraud by people 20-29, social media was the contact method more than 38% of the time.”

The Mary Sue has reached out to JP via TikTok comment to request additional comment. Tattedbywiz appears to have become inactive online and was not reachable for comment.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

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Sophia Paslidis

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February 1, 2026
Fact-checking claims about Kilmar Abrego Garcia

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The Trump administration again detained Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran citizen and Maryland resident whose wrongful deportation case gained national attention at the beginning of the administration’s illegal immigration crackdown.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained Abrego Garcia during his Aug. 25 immigration check-in. A Department of Homeland Security press release said Abrego Garcia was being processed for deportation to Uganda, but a district judge ordered him not to be deported until she can hold an evidentiary hearing

Trump officials defended Abrego Garcia’s detention and deportation by continuing to level accusations against him since wrongly deporting him in March to an El Salvador maximum-security prison. Abrego Garcia had a withholding of removal order that prevented his deportation to his home country. He sued the U.S. government over his mistaken deportation in April and was returned to the U.S. on June 6 to face criminal charges. He was imprisoned in Tennessee, but a judge ordered his release July 23 while he awaits trial.

In Aug. 25 remarks during an executive order signing, President Donald Trump said of Abrego Garcia, “He beat the hell out of his wife, his wife is afraid to even talk about him. She’s been mauled by this animal. And you know, through a system of liberal courts, you know, he’s doing things. But now we have that under control.”

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in the same ceremony, “(Abrego Garcia) will no longer terrorize our country. He’s currently charged with human smuggling, including children.”

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Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in an X post, “President Trump is not going to allow this illegal alien, who is an MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, serial domestic abuser, and child predator to terrorize American citizens any longer.”

Some of these statements are exaggerated, and others are based on information from dubious informants. Here’s what we know about Abrego Garcia’s history.

Recent judicial decisions said the government hasn’t proven Abrego Garcia’s gang membership

Trump and his administration officials have repeatedly said Abrego Garcia is a member of MS-13, a gang that originated in Los Angeles and is composed primarily of Salvadoran immigrants and their descendants. Abrego Garcia and his lawyer said he is not an MS-13 member. Federal judges in 2025 have agreed.

A federal judge in July described the U.S. government’s “poor attempts to tie Abrego to MS-13,” saying that to conclude Abrego Garcia is a member of or affiliated with MS-13, the court “would have to make so many inferences” that the “conclusion would border on fanciful.”

Claims of Abrego Garcia’s alleged gang membership date to 2019 when Maryland police took him into custody while he was looking for day labor outside a Home Depot. Officers asked Abrego Garcia if he was a gang member, and he said no. A police informant told law enforcement that Abrego Garcia was an MS-13 gang member, according to a police report known as a “gang field interview sheet.”

ICE took Abrego Garcia into custody after the arrest and Abrego Garcia sought bond. An immigration judge denied his initial bond request, describing officers’ determination that he was a member of MS-13 as “trustworthy” and “supported by other evidence in the record.”

Abrego Garcia appealed that ruling, and an appeals board upheld the judge’s decision, saying the judge “appropriately considered allegations of gang affiliation.”

In April, while Abrego Garcia was imprisoned in El Salvador, two judges said the U.S. government didn’t sufficiently prove Abrego Garcia’s gang membership.

Trump has falsely said Abrego Garcia has the figures “MS-13” tattooed on his knuckles.

“There is no evidence before the Court that Abrego: has markings or tattoos showing gang affiliation; has working relationships with known MS-13 members; ever told any of the witnesses that he is a MS-13 member; or has ever been affiliated with any sort of gang activity,” Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw said in the July decision ordering Abrego Garcia’s release.

Grand jury indicted Abrego Garcia for transporting undocumented immigrants across the border

Noem said Abrego Garcia was involved in human trafficking. That’s inaccurate.

A grand jury indictment charged Abrego Garcia with one count of conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants in the U.S. illegally, and one count of unlawful transportation of undocumented people. The May 21 indictment was unsealed June 6.

Abrego Garcia pleaded not guilty to the charges, which stem from a 2022 traffic stop. U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes reiterated that Abrego Garcia is charged with human smuggling, not human trafficking. Trafficking is a crime against people, regardless of their immigration status or crossing of a border, while smuggling is a crime against a country’s immigration laws.

The indictment alleges that from 2016 to 2025, Abrego Garcia participated in a criminal conspiracy to bring undocumented immigrants from “countries such as Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador and elsewhere” who crossed the Mexico border into Texas.

In some instances, the indictment said, MS-13 members and their associates accompanied Abrego Garcia on trips transporting people illegally in the U.S. from Texas to other U.S. locations. Some of the people he transported were also MS-13 members and associates, the indictment said.

It alleged that Abrego Garcia and coconspirators “transported children on the floorboards of vehicles.”

In a 2022 traffic stop, a Tennessee Highway Patrol state trooper found Abrego Garcia driving nine passengers, all Hispanic men, the indictment said. Other government statements said he was driving eight people.

At the time, Abrego Garcia was released with a warning for driving with an expired license.

Defense attorneys questioned the credentials and motives of unnamed cooperating witnesses — people who provide information to the Justice Department as part of an agreement.

CNN reported that one witness is a two-time felon who had been deported from the U.S. five times, and has again returned illegally, seeking work authorization. Another admitted to human trafficking and is being held with criminal charges.

Abrego Garcia’s wife filed two protective orders against him over domestic violence

Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, a U.S. citizen, filed protective orders against him in 2020 and 2021. In the orders, Vasquez Sura said Abrego Garcia had slapped, punched and bruised her.

A few days after filing the 2020 protective order, Vasquez Sura, filed an order rescinding it, citing her son’s birthday and saying Abrego Garcia had agreed to go to counseling.

After the 2021 filing, a court ordered Abrego Garcia not to contact, harass or abuse Vasquez Sura.

Vasquez Sura has criticized the Trump administration, telling Newsweek that her protective orders are “not a justification for ICE’s action.”

“After surviving domestic violence in a previous relationship, I acted out of caution following a disagreement with Kilmar by seeking a civil protective order, in case things escalated,” she said. “Things did not escalate, and I decided not to follow through with the civil court process. We were able to work through the situation privately as a family, including by going to counseling.”

In July, Judge Crenshaw said, “The allegations against Abrego in the protective orders are both serious and concerning.”

However, he said, the matters had been resolved and “there is no proof offered to suggest that Abrego failed to comply with those orders while they were in place, nor evidence suggesting that Abrego has engaged in similar conduct over the past four years.”

Bondi’s accusations against Abrego Garcia based on information from coconspirators

Bondi has floated a connection between Abrego Garcia and other crimes, without filing charges.

In June 6 remarks, Bondi said, “A coconspirator alleged that the defendant solicited nude photographs and videos of a minor. A coconspirator also alleges the defendant played a role in the murder of a rival gang member’s mother.”

These allegations don’t appear on the indictment, but they were mentioned in the government’s motion for detention, which said it learned that Abrego Garcia “solicited nude photographs and videos of a minor, beginning in approximately 2020.” That motion said “no charges against the defendant regarding child pornography have been filed, but it demonstrates the danger the defendant poses to the community not just with respect to alien smuggling,” adding that investigation into that solicitation is ongoing. The government’s motion for detention was denied.

In court, Abrego Garcia’s lawyers objected to hearsay and at times “multiple tiers of hearsay,” CNN reported, including when a federal agent said he heard that a cooperator heard someone else accusing Abrego Garcia of sexually harassing women.

PolitiFact Researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.

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August 25, 2025
‘I thought I was going to die there’: Voices of migrants deported to a Salvadoran prison

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CARACAS, Venezuela — In March, President Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to declare Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang a foreign terrorist group.

Shortly after, the U.S. sent more than 250 Venezuelans who it said were a part of the gang to El Salvador, where they were jailed for months in one of the country’s most notorious prisons, the Terrorism Confinement Center, also known as CECOT.

Many of the men insist that they have no ties to the gang and were denied due process.

After enduring months in detention, the men were sent home in July as part of a prisoner exchange deal that included Venezuela’s release of several detained Americans.

Venezuela’s attorney general said interviews with the men revealed “systemic torture” in the Salvadoran prison, including daily beatings, rancid food and sexual abuse. The men have been adjusting to life back in Venezuela, which most fled because of their home country’s political and economic instability.

The Times photographed four of the Venezuelans — Arturo Suárez, Angelo Escalona, Frizgeralth Cornejo and Ángelo Bolívar — as they got reacquainted with their families and life outside prison.

Arturo Suárez records a song at a studio in Caracas’ Catia neighborhood. He composed the song in prison in El Salvador.

Arturo Suárez, 34

Suárez, a musician, was detained in North Carolina while gathered with friends to record a music video. Ten people were arrested that day. Inside the Salvadoran prison, he said, music was forbidden and guards beat him repeatedly for singing. But he refused to stay silent. From his cell, he wrote a song that spread from cell to cell, becoming an anthem of hope for the Venezuelans imprisoned with him.

“From Cell 31, God spoke to me,” the lyrics go in part. “He said, son, be patient, your blessing is coming soon…. Let nothing kill your faith, let nothing make you doubt because it won’t be long before you return home.”

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1. Suárez holds a heart he fashioned in prison out of tortillas and toothpaste, with letters made from threads of the white shorts he wore. 2. This tattoo of a bird enabled his family to identify Suárez in videos released by the Salvadoran government.

Suárez checks his phone beneath a poster welcoming him home in Caracas.

I thought I wasn’t going to make it out of there. I thought I was going to die there.

Posters depicting Suárez and other Venezuelan migrants deported to El Salvador are seen in Caracas’ El Valle neighborhood.

Angelo Escalona, 18

Escalona had turned 18 just three months before Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained him in the same raid that swept up his friend Suárez, the musician. His dream was to become a DJ, and Escalona had saved up to buy equipment that he showed Suárez just before they were arrested. He had no tattoos, no criminal record and was just at the wrong place at the wrong time, he said.

When the deportation flight landed in El Salvador, he and the other Venezuelans tried to resist being taken off the plane. “We all fastened our seat belts because we’re Venezuelans — we weren’t supposed to be there” in El Salvador, he said. “But the Salvadoran police boarded the plane and started beating the people in the front.”

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2

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1. Angelo Escalona said that the other Venezuelan prisoners called him “El Menor,” or the minor, because at 18 he was the youngest of the deportees.
2. A poster family members held during protests demanding his release says, “Your family has not abandoned you.”
3. Escalona’s aunt displays a poster with a letter his mother wrote to him upon his release. “Son, I love you,” it says in red.

When we arrived [at the prison], they told us, ‘Welcome to the real hell — no one leaves here unless they’re dead.’

A view of Caracas’ Antímano neighborhood, where Frizgeralth Cornejo lived with his family before traveling north to the United States.

Frizgeralth Cornejo, 26

In mid-2024, Frizgeralth Cornejo made the long trek through the Darién Gap, the dangerous jungle separating Central and South America and made his way north with three friends. Hoping to obtain asylum in the United States, he had applied for an appointment with immigration officials through Customs and Border Protection’s CBP One app.

But when Cornejo, 26, presented himself at the border, officials accused him of gang affiliation because of his tattoos. Everyone else in his group was allowed through, but not him.

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1. Cornejo has lunch with his mother, Austria, and his brother, Carlos, in Caracas’ Antímano neighborhood. 2. Cornejo walks with his brother, Carlos, in the neighborhood of Sabana Grande in Caracas.

Cornejo kisses his mother, Austria.

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1. Cornejo shows the neck tattoo that allowed his family to identify him in videos released by the Salvadoran government. 2. U.S. authorities claimed this tattoo linked him to the Tren de Aragua gang.

I never imagined being imprisoned just for getting tattoos.

A view of the neighborhood where the family of Ángelo Bolívar lives in Valencia.

Ángelo Bolívar, 26

Bolívar was living in Texas when he was arrested by ICE agents and sent to El Salvador’s CECOT prison. His many tattoos are part of a family legacy, one he shares with his mother, Silvia Cruz. His late father was a tattoo artist. His tattoos led to his imprisonment, he said, because authorities saw them as proof of membership in the Tren de Aragua gang. He is now back in the city of Valencia, about 80 miles east of Caracas.

They said I was a gang member because of my tattoos — because I had a watch and a rosary. Even though the ICE agents had tattoos of roses and watches too.

Bolívar and his mother, Silvia Cruz, in Valencia.

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Kate Linthicum, Gabriela Oráa

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August 20, 2025
Cold Moon Piercing and Tattoo hopes to carry on the legacies of Sol Tribe and Alicia Cardenas

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Casey Hosch stands in the future home of her Cold Moon Piercing and Tattoo on South Broadway. July 23, 2024.

Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

Casey Hosch stands outside Sol Tribe Tattoo and Piercing, the shop where she learned to pierce and run a business.

Sol Tribe was a space of ritual, activism, joy and community, she recalls. It was also the place where a white supremacist murdered Hosch’s mentor Alicia Cardenas and coworker Alyssa Gunn-Maldonado in December 2021.

Now, in mid-July of this year, the storefront is boarded up after closing abruptly on July 1.

Hosch is opening a new piercing and tattoo studio a few doors down on South Broadway.

She’s calling her new studio Cold Moon Piercing and Tattoo, a melancholy nod to the studio where Hosch came of age.

Hosch thought she’d be at Sol Tribe for the long haul.

Around 2020, Cardenas began shifting her career from body art to muralism. She talked about passing the shop on to Hosch. Nothing was in writing, but that was their understanding.

A year later, Cardenas and Gunn-Maldonado were gone.

In the weeks following their deaths, the community rallied around Sol Tribe. People mourned the losses.

A memorial to Alicia Cardenas in Hope Tank’s new location at 1434 E. 22nd Ave. in City Park West. May 26, 2023.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

The shop stayed closed for a while, but the pause was brief. Denver’s high cost of living made taking a break impossible.

“We didn’t get a whole lot of free time off,” Hosch said. “We took some time to grieve, but realistically, Sol Tribe itself couldn’t maintain without us working. We couldn’t pay our bills without us working. It’s very interesting that you just have to suck it up and get back to work. There’s not really a lot you can do — especially living in Denver these days. It’s so expensive. So we got back to work.”

At first, Hosch struggled to shower, dress, and leave the house. Eventually, she started coming back to work.

She and the artists tried to keep Sol Tribe alive after the murders. They changed a few things. The shop stopped taking walk-in appointments. They cautioned customers to keep things light to preserve their mental health. Sometimes conversations were awkward.

But mostly, those who worked there were glad to carry on with Cardenas’ legacy.

Alicia Cardenas, owner of Sol Tribe Tattoo and Body Piercing, stands in her Broadway shop as her kid, Xochitl, plays on a silk behind her. April 22, 2020.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

Over the past two-and-a-half years, Hosch managed the shop as she mourned and made plans to buy Sol Tribe from Cardenas’ co-owner. But she signed no contracts and did no deals.

Then, earlier this year, the remaining owner told staff he would be closing Sol Tribe down.

Initially, staff heard the shop would close at the end of July, giving them more than a month to decide what to do next.

“We were all under the impression that Sol Tribe would be open through July,” Hosch told Denverite. “And instead, we all got a message via Slack, an hour before we show up to work on Monday, July 1, saying: ‘Shop’s closed. We’re done.’”

All the artists, most living paycheck-to-paycheck, found themselves out of work.

Using the business skills she learned from Cardenas, Hosch secured a loan and signed a lease at 120 S. Broadway. She started building out the space that will soon open as Cold Moon.

‘I want to stay on Broadway,’ Hosch said. ‘I love-hate Broadway, for sure. But I want to stay here.’

The strip has changed a lot over the years. Many small businesses she loved are gone. But some are still around.

Hosch plans to keep Cardenas’ values alive at Cold Moon: activism, ritual and community.

The future home of Cold Moon Piercing and Tattoo on South Broadway. July 23, 2024.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

Cardenas always told Hosch piercing is about more than poking a hole in your face.

“It’s altering your body, and it should be taken a lot more seriously,” she said. “It should be a special thing. For a lot of cultures, it’s a rite of passage. There’s so much more to it than just your $20 piercing at the strip mall.”

Hosch agreed to bring many of Sol Tribe’s artists with her, to keep their community entact. Shops including Rising Tide Tattoo, Wolf and Goat Piercing, Bound by Design and the Crypt Denver took in others.

“I’m trying to open as soon as possible,” Hosch said. “I’m really hoping to have some major things accomplished by the end of this month. It’s chugging along. I’m excited. I need to pierce again. I miss it. I love it. And I just want a place to pierce and try to be a good person.”

Casey Hosch works in the future home of her Cold Moon Piercing and Tattoo on South Broadway. July 23, 2024.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

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Kyle Harris

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July 26, 2024
This wrinkly cat tattoo helps out animals in need

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Some of the designs available for Think Tank Tattoo’s “Tats for Tails” collab with the Denver Animal Shelter.

Courtesy: Think Tank Tattoo

Ever wanted a tattoo of a dog butt? What about a martini-sipping cat? Maybe even a cute duck?

Your time has arrived.

This Saturday, South Broadway’s Think Tank Tattoo is offering up these options, and more, to benefit the Denver Animal Shelter (DAS). They’re calling the collaboration Tats for Tails.

Tats are $200, for color or black-and-white. 100 percent of proceeds go to the city’s pet sanctuary.

Some of the designs available for Think Tank Tattoo’s “Tats for Tails” collab with the Denver Animal Shelter. Click here to expand this image.
Courtesy: Think Tank Tattoo

Inking that wrinkly cat on your arm or leg will help the shelter go above and beyond their core duties, DAS philanthropy administrator Lindsay Wells told us.

Yes, they get money from the city. But the shelter also has to fundraise for programs that help people with low incomes or those who are dealing with evictions take care of pets in times of crisis.

The shelter has also used past fundraisers to buy medical equipment, like x-ray machines, that aren’t covered by their regular budget, Wells said.

Think Tank is expecting a lot of work on Saturday.

Jake Bray, the shop’s owner, said they’ve donated to DAS in the past, so they were thrilled when shelter officials asked about an official partnership.

“We’ve been doing it for a couple years, and then this year Lindsay reached out and asked, ‘Hey, do you guys want to actually do an event together?” he said. “I was like, oh hell yeah, we’re a hundred percent in. Especially because they’re so close in the neighborhood.”

The shop has lived at Broadway and Cedar Avenue for 20 years, and Bray said he’s drawn a whole lot of pets in the past. It’s an easy proposition for anyone interested in something permanent.

“You can’t really regret getting a pet on you,” he said. “Especially in the world we live in today, everyone is disagreeing, but I think we can all agree on animals, you know what I’m saying?”

Some of the designs available for Think Tank Tattoo’s “Tats for Tails” collab with the Denver Animal Shelter.
Courtesy: Think Tank Tattoo

Maybe some people who come by for a turtle or penguin will come back for more, he added, but he’s also excited to “give back.”

“Saturday will be tattooing from 12 to 6 [p.m.], and just tattooing until there’s no one in line anymore or until these guys want to be done,” Bray said. “It’ll be long day for sure.”

His artists each contributed five to ten designs for the day, each bespoke for the event.

Some of Mauriah Ramona’s non-cat entries for Think Tank Tattoo’s “Tats for Tails” collab with the Denver Animal Shelter.
Courtesy: Think Tank Tattoo

Mauriah Ramona, the mind behind the wrinkly cat, said some people will be attracted to the odder entries.

“There are a lot of people that collect just silly tattoos because that’s what they enjoy sharing,” they said.

But they’ve got you covered, if you’re looking for something less flip to wear around for the rest of your life: Perhaps a dog paw with a very “Colorado-esque” mountain scene inside?

Correction: Mauriah Ramona’s pronouns were initially incorrect, and were updated.

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June 28, 2024
So We Know It’s Real? Draya Michele Shares A Photo Of Her & Jalen Green’s Matching Tattoo

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Draya Michele is giving fans a look at her and Jalen Green‘s matching ink.

RELATED: Abs On Fleek! Draya Michele Shows Off Her Bikini Body Less Than A Month After Giving Birth (PHOTO)

Draya Michele Shows Off Her & Jalen Green’s Matching Tattoos

On Sunday, June 16, Michele took to her Instagram Story with a brief message in celebration of the Father’s Day holiday. The mother of three posted a photo of what appears to be her recent baby bump.

In the photo, her hand is placed on her stomach, and her fingers appear to make a half-heart. Additionally, Green’s hand is placed in the photo, completing Michele’s heart.

“Happy Father’s Day,” Michele wrote in a caption on the photo.

Michele’s message was a sweet gesture for the holiday, given that she just recently gave birth to her youngest child, a daughter shared with Green, on Mother’s Day, per The Shade Room.

However, one couldn’t miss Michele and Green’s matching ink on their middle fingers. Their tattoo appears to be of the Aquarius horoscope sign. To note, Draya was born on January 23, 1985, per Famous Birthdays. Additionally, Green was born on February 9, 2002, per the outlet.

Check out the pair’s matching ink below.

Social Media Shares Reactions

Social media users reacted to Michele and Green’s matching ink in The Shade Room’s comment section.

Instagram user @bippeeee_ wrote, “2 aquariuses? This aint gonna last. -sincerely,an Aquarius”

While Instagram user @thereal_teejayy added, “I wonder how much they charged them for them lil squiggly lines tattoos 🤔”

Instagram user @xo_killakam wrote, “I like to be the only one with polished nails (& a purse) in the relationship.”

While Instagram user @luvnthem added, “An Aquarius…I should have known! We really don’t care what you think about how we live our life. 🤷🏾‍♀️ anywho Aquarius gang it’s always our season!”

Instagram user @tania__bee wrote, “Happy for THEM and their LIFE❤️”

While Instagram user @zurisha added, “Oh they both Aquarius??? Leave them alone they know what the doing and they don’t give af 😂let them be”

Instagram user @humblyg0rgeous wrote, “Two Aquarius is dangerous lol”

While Instagram user @liv_freeely added, “Saying happy Father’s Day to him and not the other 2 daddies is wild”

Instagram user @nothingbutsand wrote, “I think us Aquarius are the loudest and proudest about our sign 😂, no matter what, you about to know we are an Aquarius ♒️ lol”

While Instagram user @soshik__ added, “Aquarius ♒️ is the only sign that understands Aquarians. They locked in for a while.”

Instagram user @nybangaaaa wrote, “That’s cute they both Aquarius. That sign hell tho 😂😂”

While Instagram user @khayute added, “So did he already have the tat and she went and got it to match? His look old”

Jalen Green Has ANOTHER Tattoo That Represents His & Draya’s Relationship

This isn’t the first time Green and Michele have documented their relationship in ink. As The Shade Room previously reported, fans initially noticed that Green had Michele’s first name tattooed on the left side of his lower abdomen in March.

At the time, Green had posted a photo wishing his younger sister a happy birthday. In the flick, he posed shirtless.

Ink aside, the pair also isn’t shy about popping out with other matching accessories. Earlier this month, Michele and Green popped out in matching shirts and color-coordinated outfits.

Their outing sparked immediate criticism from fans, which prompted Michele to issue a spicy clapback.

RELATED: Clapback Season! Draya Michele Reacts To Folks Yappin’ About Her Matching Outfits With Jalen Green

What Do You Think Roomies?

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Jadriena Solomon

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June 17, 2024
Sofia Vergara Repurposed Her Joe Manganiello Tattoo

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Photo: Jesse Grant/Variety via Getty Images

Getting a tattoo for a significant other that you end up breaking up with is a tough spot to be in — typically resulting in painful tattoo removal or some kind of cover-up. But Sofia Vergara found a third, more efficient way to deal with the tattoo she got in honor of her now ex, Joe Manganiello. During her appearance on The Talk this week with her son Manolo Gonzalez Vergara to promote their new show Celebrity Family Food Battle, Vergara bemoaned her son’s 34 tattoos, so he fired back by pointing out that she herself has some ink. One, she explained, was the initial of her late brother, and the other, on her wrist, is a “J.” “This was Joe Manganiello’s initial, but now he’s gone,” she said to laughs from the audience, before explaining, “How lucky can I be that the guy I’m going out with now has the same initial, the new guy. Recycle!” As long as she only dates guys whose name starts with the letter “J,” she’s good to go.

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Tom Smyth

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June 1, 2024
Tatted Up Mami! Halle Bailey Celebrates Her First Mother’s Day With THIS Special Ink (VIDEOS)

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Singer Halle Bailey recently celebrated her first Mother’s Day by getting body art.

Yahoo reports the 24-year-old shared her joy for motherhood with a new tattoo and posted a touching video with her baby boy.

RELATED: Halle Bailey Speaks On Dealing WIth “Severe, Severe” Postpartum Depression

Halle Bailey’s Heartfelt Mother’s Day Post

The actor took to her Instagram Stories to share that she “got [her] first tattoo yesterday for mother’s day in honor of [her] baby halo.” The tattoo, written in script font, is located on her wrist.

Check out the footage of Bailey and DDG getting the matching ink below.

Halle Bailey & DDG get matching tattoos of their son’s name “Halo” 😇🤍 pic.twitter.com/ZiYjKvEnEK

— The𝗗𝗼𝗻𝘇 (@DONZMEDIA) May 13, 2024

Check out Bailey’s final result below.

Halle Bailey got a tattoo in honour of her son Halo 🥹💙 pic.twitter.com/P00bcDmiwT

— The Siren Source (@TheSirenSource) May 12, 2024

Additionally, Bailey made a celebratory post on her Insta profile sharing her love for motherhood.

She stated, “my first mother’s day. the greatest joy I’ve ever known.”

‘The Little Mermaid’ star stitched several clips together, including one of her in labor. A following clip shows the Atlanta-born singer holding the newborn, then her boyfriend DDG grabbing a turn. Additional clips highlight her playtime with Halo. He adorably holds baby fistfuls of her locs in one visual.

The video garnered more than 800,000 likes in 3 hours.

Well Wishes From Celebs

Halle received an abundance of love on her first Mommy’s Day. Her sister and groupmate, Chloe, commented under her post, “you are an amazing mother and i am so happy to witness and feel all the joy he brings into our lives.”

The rapper JT commented, “Awww congratulations again happy Mother’s Day.”

Additionally, the pianist received well wishes from actress Taraji P. Henson and reality star Reginae Carter.

Roommates React To Halle’s Mother’s Day Post

Roomie, @juju_the_enchantress, commented, “Either hide the kids like Kerry Washington do or stop playing in people face.”

@jay_.13x said, “Ain’t no way yall mad she posted her first Mother’s Day video on HER page and it’s ‘she’s looking for attention’ … anywayssss Happy Mother’s Day Halle!!! And all the amazing moms!!!”

“I love the fact she has a lot of people up in arms about hiding her child’s face. It’s given weird that y’all are even coming off entitled to see someone else’s baby…” @sheruffleyafeathers wrote.

Congrats Halle! Motherhood looks goodt on you!

Check out her post below:

RELATED: DDG Reveals Halle Bailey Saw Him DM Rubi Rose Last Year & Explains Why He Did It (Video)

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Carmen Jones

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May 13, 2024
Ray J Addresses Public Concern After Revealing His New Face Tattoos (WATCH)

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Ray J is addressing the public’s concern after recently revealing his new face tattoos.

RELATED: Not Again! Princess Love Reveals Her & Ray J’s Decision To Divorce

Ray J Unveils His Face Tattoos

On Sunday, April 21, a YouTube video was published which seemed to feature clips from a recent Instagram Live of Ray J’s. In the video, the singer showed up-close shots of his face.

The right side seemed to feature a logo of his reality TV network, Tronix, and the name of his son, Epik. Meanwhile, the left side of his face featured three stars and the name of his daughter, Melody.

“Yep, there you go.I look real unattractive now,” he said to the camera, before pointing at the tattoos of his kids’ names. “Melody, Epik… tattoos on my face. That means I can’t do no more movies, I can’t host no TV shows… It’s all in for me now, n***a. I ain’t wearing no makeup, you feel me?”

From there, Ray J revealed why he tatted his face.

“I did this on purpose just ’cause I don’t want another call time,” he explained. “I only want to make the call time. And what better way to do that then decorating your body with what you believe in… I love ’em… I just don’t ever — and wouldn’t even know how to give a f**k. I don’t care.”

Check out the footage below.

The Singer Speaks Out After Sparking Public Concern

Then, on Tuesday, April 23, Instagram account @livebitez published footage from another Instagram Live of Ray J’s. In the clip, he appeared to be in a casino while he spoke to a woman on the stream.

“You see the tatt on my face, right?” Ray J said. “Everybody trippin’, they saying that I’m like, going through some kind of like — I don’t know. I had a few doctors call me and DM me and out of respect, I’m like, ‘Thank you.’ I appreciate the love because, you know, if you worried about me then… please let me know.”

The singer then concluded his stance.

“If I’m falling by the wayside. If I’m like, if I’m going left like, help me go right,” he continued. “And Imma listen, straight up.”

In response, the women told him that she thinks his face tattoos are fire.

“Yeah, I’m about to go get — I’m bout to go finish… some right now,” Ray J replied. “And Imma really go big today. But this s**t — once, I’m done with them, then I think everybody might f**k with them. But if they don’t then, you don’t gotta look at me.”

Watch the clip from the singer’s Instagram Live below.

On Tuesday, April 23, Ray J returned to his Instagram Story to share additional close-up shots of his face tattoos. The photos appeared to show that he added a “P” to the left side of his forehead.

Additionally, the singer captioned the photos with a few cryptic messages.

“DARK TIMES AGAIN 4 YOU OPPS… DESTROY AND REBUILD… PRAY 4 WHATS NEXT… WISH YOU THE BEST… EVIL WILL BE DONE TO THE BAD WHO CHOSE TO DO EVIL TO THE GOOD… POWER – PROFESSIONAL….”

A Brief Recap Of Recent Events Surrounding The ‘One Wish’ Singer

As The Shade Room previously reported, Ray J most recently made headlines in February when his estranged wife, Princess Love, revealed they decided to file for divorce. To note, this is the former couple’s fourth time making the filing.

At the time, Love revealed that despite “reflection, discussion, and counseling” she and Ray J realized their paths have just “diverged.” However, she added that she and the singer were committed to carrying a “positive” co-parenting relationship.

In March, footage surfaced of Love participating in karaoke with friends and John Boyega. The clip went viral as viewers noticed that Boyega had his arm around Love, per The Shade Room.

In response, Ray J reacted to the viral video with surprise.

Earlier this month, the singer reportedly responded to Love’s divorce filing with his custody request regarding their two kids, per The Shade Room. Then, earlier this week, the ‘One Wish’ singer also responded after photos of his lavish gifts to Sukihana went viral.

RELATED: What’s Tea With Them? Sukihana Thanks Ray J For THESE Lavish Gifts (Video)

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Jadriena Solomon

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April 23, 2024
Boeing’s Secret Weapon, Wet Activities, And More: This Week In Breaking News March 16, 2024

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Read more…

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March 16, 2024
'L.A. Ink's' Kat Von D Reveals She's Often Called 'Demonic' Despite Being A Devout Christian

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Opinion

Source: Theo Von YouTube

We previously reported that the former tattoo artist and “L.A. Ink” star Kat Von D had announced that she was abandoning witchcraft to become a devout Christian. Now, Von D is revealing that she is often called “demonic” because of her physical appearance despite her devout Christian faith.

‘I Get Called Demonic A Lot’

While appearing on Theo Von’s “This Past Weekend” podcast last month, Von D opened up about her strong Christian faith.

“Modern-day Christians are so used to being surrounded by people that look the same as them,” said Von D, 41. “When someone like me comes into the mix, it’s like, ‘Oh, wait, this is demonic.’ … I get called demonic a lot. ‘You’re serving two masters.’ I’m like, I don’t think any of that is accurate.

“I don’t think there’s any dress code to be a Christian,” she continued. “But I get it a lot. … [After I posted] my last post, I thought it was a very cool modest image of me in a dress and some funny shoes, and the comments are just hilarious.”

Related: ‘L.A. Ink’s’ Kat Von D Abandons Witchcraft After Finding God – ‘On Fire For Jesus’

Von D’s ‘Relationship With God’

Von D came forward as a Christian back in October when she shared a powerful video of herself being baptized. Since then, however, Von D has felt like she’s been under a microscope when it comes to public scrutiny of her religious beliefs.

“It’s such an intimate and personal thing. My relationship with God is my own,” Von D said. “I’ve never really felt like I belonged anywhere. Especially now, I think being public with my faith puts you into like this microscopic, critical tank.

“At the end of the day, you know, my relationship is with God, not you,” she added. “I think because people have a hard time understanding [my] aesthetic and pairing that with something … like Christianity. I don’t understand why people don’t see how close-minded that is. Why would you think that you have to look a certain way to have an understanding of the Bible?”

Related: New ‘Satan Club’ for Kids Set to Meet at Connecticut Elementary School

‘I Paise God’

Von D has been open about how her faith has helped her to move away from the wild lifestyle that she previously enjoyed.

“I’ve always found beauty in the macabre, but at this point, I just had to ask myself what is my relationship with this content?” she said. “And the truth is, I just don’t want to invite any of these things into our family’s lives, even if it comes disguised in beautiful covers, collecting dust on my shelves.”

This was a reference to the books about witchcraft that Von D once studied.

“The last few years for me have been so rough behind the curtains,” she concluded. “I don’t share [it] all … But I’m still going to live in a state of gratitude. The world could be falling apart, and I’m still, like, I praise God.”

Check out this full interview in the video below.

Von D’s story serves as a reminder to all of us that one can never judge a book by its cover. Just because Von D looks the way she does, it does not mean that she can’t be a good Christian woman!

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James Conrad

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December 21, 2023
The 1 Big Red Flag To Watch Out For When Picking A Tattoo Artist

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Ready to get a tattoo? Whether it’s your first or your 50th, you’ve got a bunch of big decisions ahead of you, from what you want to where you want it and, maybe most important, who you’re going to enlist to do the job.

If you pick the wrong artist, you could end up spending a ton of money for a busted tattoo that’s going to be on your skin forever (or until you fork over even more cash and put up with even more pain to get it covered up or removed), not to mention the potential for a nasty infection.

So how do you find the right artist? And what are the red flags that can help you avoid hiring someone unworthy of this incredibly intimate, expensive and often meaningful job?

Virginia Elwood, co-owner of This Time Tomorrow tattoo studio in Brooklyn, New York, recently joined us — Raj Punjabi and Noah Michelson, co-hosts of HuffPost’s “Am I Doing It Wrong?” podcast — to chat about what should instantly set off your alarm bells when getting a tattoo consultation.

“[If someone is charging thousands of dollars just for a consultation], that is without a doubt [a red flag],” Elwood said. “[Recently there was a controversy surrounding a tattoo artist] who would charge $180 for the consultation fee and then she had a pricing system where it was, like, in the upper $2,000s to have one design drawn with just one possibility of changing things. If you weren’t happy with it, you had to pay something like another $2,000 — and then that’s on top of the tattoo time! That’s crazy! That’s scammy as fuck — grifters gonna grift.”

Elwood says that an artist shouldn’t charge anything for a consultation, and if they do, that’s a sign you might want to hire someone else to do the work.

So what should we be looking for?

“Find an artist whose style you really love and that really speaks to you — find a few — and email them and meet with them,” Elwood said. “If you’re going into a tattoo studio [for a consultation], look at the surroundings — is it clean? Are people friendly? When you meet with your artist, are they warm and kind to you? Do they explain the process?”

Elwood emphasized that your potential artist should “know what they’re talking about and know what they’re doing,” adding, “You should really, really do a deep dive into whatever artist you choose. Do you feel respected? Do you feel heard? Listen to your gut. If something’s wrong, don’t be afraid — you are not blood-bound to get this tattoo. If it doesn’t feel right, listen to yourself.”

Elwood also chatted with us about some of most painful places to get tattooed (including one particularly surprising spot), the one thing you definitely want to do before you show up for your appointment, and much more:

Need some help with something you’ve been doing wrong? Email us at AmIDoingItWrong@HuffPost.com, and we might investigate the topic in an upcoming episode.

For more from Virginia Elwood or to inquire about booking an appointment with her, visit her website and follow her on Instagram.

Do you have a compelling personal story you’d like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we’re looking for here and send us a pitch.

Support HuffPost

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December 7, 2023
Lady Gaga Reveals Tony Bennett Sketched One Of Her Tattoos

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By Brent Furdyk.
Published: 5 hours ago
Last updated: 5 hours ago

Lady Gaga is among the many mourning the death of Tony Bennett, who died on Friday at age 96.

Gaga, of course, had a very special relationship with the iconic crooner, making two albums together and embarking on their Cheek to Cheek tour, performing together again in 2021 for the TV special “One Last Time”.

In a recent interview with People, Gaga revealed that back in 2014, Bennett — who was also an acclaimed painter — drew a sketch that she transformed into a tattoo.

READ MORE:
Lady Gaga Goes Full ‘Lounge Singer’ In Tribute To Tony Bennett At The Grammys

“I asked Tony to draw me a trumpet, and he sketched me Miles Davis’ trumpet,” Gaga said.

“Then I had it tattooed with his last name, Benedetto, underneath,” she added. “Just so I would always remember this time together.”

Photo by John Lamparski/WireImage

As Gaga recalled, she and Bennett first connected when they both attended a 2011 charity gala, where she performed the jazz standard “Orange Colored Sky”.

“Tony heard me sing it, and he asked to meet me,” Gaga said back in 2014. “He said, ‘Do you want to do a jazz album together?’ I said, ‘Of course I do!’ We were fast friends.”

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Brent Furdyk

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July 26, 2023
The Best Makeup to Cover Up Tattoos From People Who Cover Tattoos for a Living

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Makeup That Covers Up Tattoos – 7 Product Recommendations From Tattoo Experts

<p>Similar to the way we apply makeup to our face, there are factors that you must consider to ensure longevity and a smooth application for tattoo cover-up. <a href=”https://www.elle.com/beauty/g41249775/best-hydrating-moisturizers/” target=”_blank”>Skin type</a>, daily routines, <a href=”https://www.elle.com/beauty/makeup-skin-care/a42088232/best-skincare-routine-order/” target=”_blank”>skincare practices</a>, and the color of the tattoo ink all play important roles in an effective cover-up. “Skin tones are so different on everyone and it’s important to understand undertones and freckling,” says <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/rebeccawmakeup/?hl=en” target=”_blank”>Rebecca Wachtel</a>, TV and film makeup designer and the artist behind the beauty looks on hit shows such as <em>Daisy Jones and the Six</em>.<br><br>Maybe you have an important new job interview, your tat doesn’t exactly match your outfit that day, or you got up from the tattoo chair and it’s just not what you expected. No matter what situation you may find yourself in, we’ve gathered a list of products, with the help of expert makeup artists, that will help you cover up any tattoo. </p>” />