If you haven’t checked Kat Von D Instagram lately, you might not even recognize the person on the screen. Seriously. The woman who basically defined the "tattoo chic" aesthetic of the 2000s is almost entirely covered in solid black ink now. It’s a trip. Gone are the intricate portraits and the colorful pin-ups that made her a household name on LA Ink.
Honestly, the comment sections on her posts are a total battlefield. One person is praising her "spiritual rebirth," and the next is mourning the loss of her iconic art. But Katherine von Drachenberg has never really cared about playing it safe, has she? She’s currently living in Indiana, far away from the Hollywood spotlight, and her feed is a wild mix of Gothic architecture, motherhood, and a very public conversion to Christianity.
The Blackout: It’s Not Just a Phase
Most people think she’s just being edgy. They’re wrong. Kat has spent the last few years—specifically starting heavily around 2022—systematically "blacking out" her body. We’re talking over 80% coverage in solid black.
Why? She’s been pretty blunt about it on her grid. She told her followers she was simply "fed up" with looking at old tattoos that reminded her of a "darker, drunken" version of herself. It’s like she’s literally painting over the past.
Recently, she shared an update with her artist, Hoode, showing off a nearly finished "blackout bodysuit." It’s intense. There are a few survivors, like the portrait of her father, but the rest? Void. It’s a physical manifestation of her desire for a clean slate. Some fans call it "ink suicide," but for Kat, it seems to be the only way to find peace with her skin.
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Faith, "Demonic" Furniture, and the Indiana Move
If the tattoos didn’t shock the internet enough, her baptism certainly did. In October 2023, she posted a video of her baptism at a small Baptist church in Indiana. It went viral for all the wrong reasons.
The backlash was weirdly multi-sided:
- The Secular Fans: Accused her of "joining a cult" or losing her edge.
- The Religious Critics: Attacked her for her style, basically saying she didn't "look" like a Christian should.
- The Skeptics: Called it a PR stunt.
Kat’s response? A video of her sitting in front of a hand-carved, 19th-century "monster" cabinet. People told her to burn it because it looked "demonic." She basically told them to stay in their lane. She’s now exploring Orthodox Christianity, frequently posting about her visits to historic parishes. She’s navigating this weird middle ground where she loves Jesus but refuses to throw away her Victorian-Goth aesthetic. You've gotta respect the commitment to being herself, even when she's confusing everyone.
What Happened to the Makeup Empire?
Let’s clear this up because it’s a major point of confusion on Kat Von D Instagram. She does not own KVD Beauty anymore. Not a single cent.
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She sold her shares to Kendo (owned by LVMH) back in 2020. The "KVD" in the name no longer stands for Kat Von D; the brand rebranded to KVD Vegan Beauty and then just KVD Beauty. If you see her posting about makeup now, it’s usually just her doing her own face for a music video. She’s completely exited the industry to focus on her son, Leafar, and her music career.
The Music Pivot: "My Side of the Mountain"
Instead of eyeliner, her feed is now dominated by "disco goth" synthesizers. She released her second album, My Side of the Mountain, in late 2024 and spent much of 2025 touring the UK and Europe.
She’s taking it seriously. This isn't a "celebrity vanity project." She’s been a classically trained pianist since she was five. If you watch her Reels, you’ll see her practicing for hours. It’s a total shift from the reality TV star we knew a decade ago. She’s currently 43, living in a Victorian mansion in Vevay, Indiana, and seems genuinely happier than she ever was in California.
The Lawsuit That Changed Everything
One reason she might be so over the old tattoo world is the massive copyright lawsuit she just moved past. A photographer sued her for tattooing a portrait of Miles Davis based on his photo.
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In early 2024, a jury actually sided with Kat. It was a huge win for the tattoo community, proving that "transformative" art is protected. But even after winning, she’s still leaning into the blackout look. It’s like the win gave her the closure she needed to finally walk away from that chapter of her life.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Followers
If you're following Kat for the first time in years, keep these things in mind to navigate her "new" era:
- Don't expect makeup tips: She isn't the face of KVD Beauty anymore. If you want her actual aesthetic, look for her music videos where she still does her own "Vampire Goth" styling.
- Respect the "Blackout" journey: If you comment asking why she "ruined" her skin, you're likely to get blocked or ignored. She views it as a healing process.
- Check her tour dates: She is actively performing. If you like synth-wave or 80s-inspired dark pop, her live shows are where she puts her energy now.
- Indiana is the new HQ: She closed her famous High Voltage Tattoo shop in LA years ago. Don't go to Hollywood looking for her; she’s a Midwesterner now.
Kat Von D’s Instagram is no longer a portfolio of a tattoo artist. It’s a digital diary of a woman who deconstructed her entire identity—her career, her home, her religion, and even her skin—to build something that feels authentic to her. Whether you love the new look or hate it, you can't deny she's one of the few celebrities who actually lives her truth, no matter how much "engagement" she loses along the way.
To keep up with her latest blackout sessions or her upcoming 2026 music projects, keep an eye on her official handle, @thekatvond. Just don't expect the old Kat to come back anytime soon.