Ben Affleck’s relationship with tattoos has been a subject of public fascination for years. Known for his large back tattoo featuring a colorful rising phoenix, the Hollywood actor has often sparked curiosity and debate about his body art. However, Affleck recently revealed that his most regretted tattoo isn’t his famous back design, but a piece of ink he got at the age of 16, which has haunted him for years.
During a candid conversation with his Accountant 2 co-star Jon Bernthal on Complex’s GOAT Talk, Affleck was asked to share the story behind his worst tattoo. Bernthal opened the discussion by recounting his own near-miss with a regrettable tattoo choice—a design of the word “nasty”—before his wife talked him out of it. When it was Affleck’s turn, he shared his experience with tattoos, explaining that many of his earlier pieces had been covered up over the years.
“I have a ton of cover-ups, you know? I’ve had them removed, I’ve had cover-ups, over and over again,” Affleck said, revealing how his tattoo journey had evolved. “But probably the worst was when—I was 16 or something—I thought I’d do a barbed wire thing,” he admitted, pointing to his upper arm. “It was terrible,” Affleck confessed, describing the design as one of his biggest regrets. This tattoo, which was among his first, led him to start the process of covering up previous designs with more meaningful artwork.
Affleck went on to explain how the barbed wire tattoo was the catalyst for his later decision to get cover-ups. “So I was like, I better get something to cover that, and it started the process,” he said. “I just don’t have them where you have to see them for work.”
While Affleck generally keeps his tattoos hidden from the public eye, his fans have occasionally caught glimpses of his body art. Notably, in 2023, his then-wife, Jennifer Lopez, shared a steamy photo of Affleck that revealed several of his tattoos. During a Father’s Day tribute, Lopez showcased the ink around his torso and arms, including the area where the original barbed wire design had been located before it was covered up.
Despite the public scrutiny of his tattoos, Affleck has expressed pride in his larger pieces, including the now-iconic back tattoo. In a 2019 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Affleck explained the meaning behind the design: “It represents something important to me… It’s meaningful to me,” he said. “I like it. It’s something that I sort of kept private… I love my tattoo. I’m very happy with it.”
Ben Affleck’s story serves as a reminder of the evolving nature of personal expression and the significance that tattoos can hold, even as they change over time.
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