What's Going on with Ariana Grande's Tattoos? An Investigation into Her Disappearing — and Reappearing — Ink

Mar. 15, 2025

Ariana Grande.Photo:Rodin Eckenroth/Getty; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

I don’t know what keeps you up at night, but the situation withAriana Grande’s tattoos has plagued me for months.

The 32-year-old singer and actress started getting inked in 2012 and has since amassed a collection of over 60 tattoos, perBusiness Insider. Like many people whose tattoos number in the double digits, Grande has run into some mishaps. In 2019, she famously got a Japanese character that she thought meant “7 Rings” but actually translated to “tiny charcoal grill.” (Grande laterrevised the tattoo.)

The nature-inspired artwork would have surely complemented her ethereal custom Loewe gown (she even had 3D wing-like details adorning her eyes) but yet, the tattoo looked faded. I immediately figured she was in the process of removing her tattoos, much like her exPete Davidson’s recent venture.

After a CIA-level deep dive into her Instagram feed and public appearances, I realized that the tattoo has displayed varying degrees of pigmentation for years. Based on my research, it seems to have started when she covered her tattoos for her2021 weddingto her now ex-husband Dalton Gomez.

It makes total sense that someone would want to cover tattoos on more visible areas like the arms for their wedding. It also makes sense that she would need to cover them for her role as Glinda in the upcoming movie adaptation ofWicked, which she has been working on for the past two years. Maybe she also just felt like covering it for the Met Gala.

Such thoughts have occurred to me, as I am a rational person, but these explanations generate more questions than answers. Why are the rest of her tattoos left uncovered? All of her tattoos are covered forWicked, so if one of her non-butterfly-tattoo’d IG pics happened to be taken during a filming day, why is the rest of her ink visible?

Plus, if she was going the cover-up route, especially for a high-profile red carpet like the Met Gala or a massive studio film likeWicked, surely a makeup artist would know how to conceal it fully.

Like any curious internet person, I took to Reddit to see if there had been any discussion on the matter. Sure enough, there exists athread(a few, actually) on this very topic. There, the same theories swirl, but no real conclusions are made. I am left stumped.

In order to come closer to an answer, I’ve laid out a timeline of significant tattoo (or sans tattoo) moments in recent history.

Grammy Awards: January 2020

Ariana Grande at the 2020 Grammy Awards.Getty Images

Getty Images

Grande’s butterfly tattoo made its first red carpet appearance at the 2020 Grammy Awards, though it was partially hidden under her opera gloves.

The Voice: June 2021

Blake Shelton and Ariana Grande.Trae Patton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

Trae Patton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

The butterflies are vibrant as ever during an episode ofThe Voicein June 2021.

The Voice: December 2021

Kelly Clarkson, Ariana Grande, Blake Shelton, John Legend.Trae Patton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

But six months later, it’s gone?

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New York City: November 2023

Ariana Grande.DAMEBK/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

DAMEBK/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

In the thick of theWickedcinematic universe, the tattoo appears faded.

Academy Awards: March 2024

Ariana Grande.Rodin Eckenroth/Getty

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty

At the 2024 Oscars, the butterfly tattoos are completely covered, though her other arm tattoos remain visible.

Met Gala: May 2024

Ariana Grande.Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Both butterfly tattoos appear faded at the Met Gala in May.

New York City: July 2024

Ariana Grande.Gotham/GC Images

Gotham/GC Images

In the summer of 2024, the tattoos appeared to be covered with makeup.

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WSJ. Magazine Innovator Awards: October 2024

Ariana Grande.Taylor Hill/Getty

Taylor Hill/Getty

On the red carpet in October, the tattoos appear ever so faintly though her hand tattoos are clear as day. In fact, she revealed she added to her hand tattoo collection — adesign honoring her character Glinda— during a September 2023 makeup video forVogue.

Will we ever have answers? Will Ari craft a biting lyric finally addressing it? Will David Fincher eventually direct a thriller about this mind-bending phenomenon, titledThe Girl With (or Without) the Butterfly Tattoo?It all remains as unclear as Ari’s fading ink.

source: people.com