The 25 Worst Celebrity Tattoos

Image via Complex Original

Celebrities are brilliant at following trends. In turn, the A-list down to the Z-list are particularly adept at perpetuating (and ultimately over-extending) even the best trend.

In tattoos, celebrities have a particular skill in perpetrating the worst crimes against body art. All those things we laugh at in tattoos - from bad portraits to faded, and misguided, psuedo-tribal decorations - are easily found on the skin of some of the planet's most recognized folks. Don't get it twisted, it isn't always their fault. They've succumb to, so sadly, to lowest common denominator inking. Check this list for three reasons: 1. as a helpful catch up on two decades worth of major tattoo trends; 2. a reminder of when not to act too quickly at a tattoo shop; and 3. for a good laugh.

Cringe-worthy spelling mingles with dated arm bands in our version of the 25 Worst Celebrity Tattoos.

RELATED: Green Label - The Celebrity Tattoo Artists You Should Know

Tyson Chandler

Tattoo: "Only the Strong Survive"

Following your in the tattoo footsteps of your heroes is problematic. Unquestionably, Allen Iverson prompted a slew of younger ballers to get tattooed. Sadly, some fell into a dangerous trap — getting the same work as AI. Chandler, almost destined to reach the NBA, missed a golden opportunity to ink his own identity and instead chose this homage to VA's finest.

Johnny Depp

Tattoo: Mom heart.

Mr. Depp is often cited for his "Winona Forever" banner. Yes, tattooing lovers names is dangerous. More dangerous is selecting a design of short lived cool. There is a reason why classic tattoos work… they don't date your visit to the local artist. Depp's version of the classic mom tattoo (his reads "Betty Sue, his mother's name) misses the mark with the background choice, which gives a nice, timeless feeling a dated look.

DJ Pauly D

Tattoo: Star on elbow.

Star tattoos have blossomed in popularity in recent years. Found on wrists, behind the ear, and, well, just about everywhere, stars on skin are something of an epidemic. Newly minted celebrity Pauly D is a fine example of someone swayed by large scale, mostly meaningless, decorative tattoo. The arm band and dragon above prove tattoo trends have wronged Pauly on more than one occasion.

Justin Timberlake

Tattoo: Kanji symbol on ankle.

Nothing says turn of the millenium quite like a kanji tattoo. A few bands around the ankles help scream it.

Sean Combs

Tattoo: Angel with Bible verse on forearm.

A bible passage tattoo is the hip-hop equivalent of the '90s arm band on frat boys or the kanji on sorority girls. 

Richard Jefferson

Tattoo: "RJ"

In the grand tradition of name tattoos, this one lands firmly at the bottom of the "expertly articulated" pile. That Jefferson spends most of his public time in a tank top doesn't help.

Birdman

Tattoo: Stars on head.

Stars, as mentioned, are trendy. Sadly, scalp tattoos are becoming all too normal. Word of advice - should the desire to suddenly ink common symbols on the body, be discreet.

Hayden Panettiere

Tattoo: Live with out regrets (misspelled in Italian) on ribs.

Let's face it, today's biggest tattoo trend is lettering. Everyone, most especially Ms. Panettiere, could benefit from reading our Complex Guide to Tattoo Lettering before sitting under the needle. Note the importance of spell check. Otherwise, you may live with regrets.

Brad Marchand

Tattoo: Stanley Cup Champions on ribs.

A tattoo is a terrific way to commemorate achievement. When done poorly, however, that achievement is minimized and you become the butt of every sport's writers joke.

Gucci Mane

Tattoo: Ice cream cone on face.

Once upon a time, declaring yourself as "so icy" required a few outlandish chains and a massive watch. Now, thanks to Gucci Mane, the world believes a massive facial tattoo serves this function. Gucci can do what he wants. The rest of us cannot.

The Game

Tattoo: Star covering butterfly and "LA" on face.

Butterfly tattoos are a trend to be avoided. Star tattoos also fall in that category. Combine both with the dangerous decorative facial tattoo… and, simply put, you find The Game.

Allen Iverson

Tattoo: "Money Bagz" hands.

Iverson has a whole body full of cool tattoos. He's the man, largely, responsible, for making tattooing popular in the NBA. Sadly, his brazen hands don't do much for his legacy. Why? These are the reason full hand tattoos on ballers and rappers became popular.

Charlie Sheen

Tattoo: Denise on wrist.

Since Norman Rockwell's "Tattoo Artist" cover for Saturday Evening Post on March 4, 1944, American's have been aware that tattooing a loved one's name on their person might be a bad idea. This has not stopped celebrities (I know you are all thinking Angelina Jolie) from making the easiest mistake in ink. Sheen's got a few great tattoos, this is not one of them.

Brad Miller

Tattoo: And 1 logo.

Professional tattoos are as old as tattoos themselves. Sailors, especially, inked themselves with tell tale marks of high seas adventure. Anchors and ships are cool. Can't fault a barber with clipper tattoos either. However, the whole professional tattoo trend gets complicated when brand logos are employed. Miller sports a very particular And 1 graphic - specifically the one created for Stephan Marbury's pro model shoe.

Jessica Biel

Tattoo: Dove.

Fashion tattoos… these are super frightening. The idea of "oh, it would be cute to have a little star above my underpants" doesn't have lasting appeal. Nor are they are they a slut-factor free replacement for the tramp stamp.

Cheryl Tweedy

Tattoo: Psuedo-tribal on hand.

Cheryl's a pretty lady with a few misguided tattoos. Her hand is the worst offense. She's pushed beyond the tramp stamp and cutesy wrist mark, and gone to more dangerous territory. There is a reason henna makes sense for Western women.

(Note: Rihanna is doing the world no favors in squashing the decorative hand tattoo trend either).

Kobe Bryant

Tattoo: Butterfly crown on arm.

Have you wronged your significant other? Apologize with something other than a tattoo. You may end up wronging your skin.

Ashlee Simpson

Tattoo: Love and a heart on each respective wrist.

Wrist tattoos took over from panty line tattoos as a cute tattoo trend. Doesn't make them any better. Nothing says corny white girl like wrist tattoos.

Soulja Boy

Tattoo: Everything.

Inking your whole body is a bad trend. A body suit should be a labor of love and a process that takes considerable time. In haste, you get what we like to call "all icing, no cake" coverage. Lots of flourish, little substance. Leave some space for the future kids.

Rihanna

Tattoo: Lots of little tattoos, all over, including gun on ribs.

The female equivalent of "inking my whole body" is a series of small text and decorative tattoos placed on wrists, ribs, and the nape of the neck. Hi Rihanna. These ladies have moved beyond the lower back, panty line, ribs, and wrist, and just gone for all those placement trends. Hi Rihanna.

Side note, even if the girl is smoking hot, a gun feels largely out of place. Bye Rihanna.

Reggie Miller

Tattoo: Sun around belly button.

Reggie fails twice here. First, he falls to a 90's trend of poorly conceived sun tattoos. Second, he's got a tattoo around his belly button. You've likely got an uncle or cousin who fell for the same look.

Kenyon Martin

Tattoo: Lips on neck.

Tattooing your children's foot or hand prints on your person is somewhat cute. A solid mnemonic device, and certainly one that is hard to discount. Other body parts, particularly lips, tread dangerous waters. A misguided name tattoo is bad, misguided lips trump names.

Nick Lachey

Tattoo: Tribal armband.

Arm band tattoos scream "I got a tattoo in the late 1990s." Instantly dated, the tribal band is indicative of a watering down of tribal tattooing for the masses. One of the most recognizable trend tattoos, next to kanji lettering, an arm band speaks little about identity and even less about originality.

T-Pain

Tattoo: Facebook homage.

A good tattoo is classic. The worst tattoos are grossly ephemeral. Connect the dots.

Pamela Anderson

Tattoo: Barbed wire arm band.

What came first, the tattoo or the film? Using a tattoo as a promotional device never quite works out the way the wearer wants. Ask all those shelved rappers with label ink. These are the tattoos where the question "how will it look when you are 60?" holds weight.