Demi Lovato Defends Giant Lion Tattoo, Insists She’s Not Copying Anyone
Demi Lovato got a giant tattoo of a lion on her hand, and she’s now defending against critics who say she stole the idea from other celebrities.
Demi showed off her huge new lion tattoo on her hand in her Instagram Story Tuesday night. The lion comprises the entire back of her hand, as she displayed proudly.
Demi Lovato got a giant lion hand tattoo after the Time 100 gala! https://t.co/KQMPeLKvo9 pic.twitter.com/45dauaxots
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) April 26, 2017
However, some have hounded Demi with claims that she stole the lion tattoo idea from others — namely Justin Bieber, who has a lion head tattoo on his chest, and Cara Delevingne, who has a lion tattoo on her index finger. Demi took to Twitter Wednesday morning and stated plainly that she did not copy the lion tattoo idea from others.
You can't get a tattoo these days without someone saying you've copied someone or you're "matching" someone. That's not the case folks.
— Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) April 26, 2017
Demi has not given a proper explanation for getting the lion tattoo, but she does have a song on her 2015 album, Confident, called “Lionheart” that may indicate her reasoning. The power ballad features Demi belting about taking inspiration and strength from her fellow human. She sings in the chorus about love conquering all.
“And we walk together into the light
And my love will be your armor tonight
We are lionhearts
And we stand together facing a war
And our love is gonna conquer it all
We are lionhearts”
Demi also revealed in a 2015 YouTube video that “Lionheart” reminds her of her dog, Buddy, who had recently died.
“I didn’t realize how meaningful this song would become to me,” Demi admits in the video. “When I lost my little baby Buddy, who was my puppy, and I heard this song for the first time since I had lost him, I just started sobbing because his light is inside of me, and even though he was this tiny little puppy, he had this lion heart.”
Demi has many other tattoos on her body, including a ribcage tattoo of the phrase “you make me beautiful,” a rose on her arm, several Roman numerals that pay tribute to her family, a flock of birds, a cross, and the phrase “now I’m a warrior,” which she sings on her 2013 song “Warrior.”
The lion tattoo could also be a symbol of Demi’s struggles with self-confidence, which she discussed with E! News at the Time 100 Gala this week, where she was honored as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
“I guess I get my confidence just from within,” Demi said. “I do self-affirmations every day, telling myself that I’m beautiful even when I don’t feel like it, telling myself I’m a rockstar even when I don’t feel like it — just things that everybody can do. It’s self love.”
Demi’s album Confident addresses these issues, particularly the title track, but the singer has frequently made confidence the subject of her songs in the past, including “Warrior,” “Skyscraper,” and “Really Don’t Care.”
The singer energetically performed “Confident” at the Time 100 Gala and paid tribute to her fellow honorees.
“Thank you so much for having me. It is such an honor. I celebrate everyone in this room, and it’s an honor to be here,” she said at the event.
Demi also teased E! News that she’s excited about bringing new music into the world very soon.
“I’m definitely my happiest [right now]. I’m so excited about what’s to come,” she revealed. “I have music and big things to announce, so it will be exciting.”
Lovato released a single last year called “Body Say” and is a featured artist on this year’s “No Promises” by Cheat Codes. It remains to be seen if she will be getting more tattoos to honor the next chapter in her life.
[Featured Image by Rick Kern/Getty Images]
