Permanent ink is a bold move when you’ve only been dating for six weeks. But that’s exactly what happened in 2008 when the world’s most famous elusive chanteuse, Mariah Carey, and a young, energetic Nick Cannon decided to tie the knot in a secret Bahamas ceremony. Before the marriage license was even dry, they decided to make things literal.
Nick went big. Like, "entire upper back" big.
He got the name Mariah etched in massive, stylized script across his shoulder blades. It was a statement. It was loud. It was exactly the kind of grand gesture you’d expect from a guy who just married his childhood crush. Mariah, ever the fan of subtle glamour (and butterflies), opted for a smaller piece on her lower back: a butterfly where the body of the insect was replaced with the words Mrs. Cannon.
For years, those tattoos were the ultimate symbol of their whirlwind romance. Then, the "paradise" Nick famously mentioned started to show some cracks.
The Mariah Carey Tattoo: Nick Cannon and the 30-Hour Cover-Up
When things soured around 2014, Nick didn't just go to a local shop for a quick fix. You can't just "erase" a name that spans the width of a grown man's back. People started noticing the change when Nick was spotted leaving a gym in Studio City. The "Mariah" was gone, replaced by a massive, intricate crucifixion scene.
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Honestly, the first version of the cover-up was a bit of a rush job. It featured Jesus on the cross with some light-beam detailing. If you looked closely at the right shoulder blade, you could still see a ghost of the letter "H" from the original name.
Why it took so long
Nick eventually realized that if he wanted the ink to look professional, he had to commit. He headed to a parlor in Covina, California, and sat in the chair for 30 painful hours.
Think about that for a second. That is nearly four full workdays of a needle hitting your spine and shoulder blades. The final result is a sprawling, gothic masterpiece that includes:
- A massive central crucifix.
- Cherubs on either side representing his twins, Moroccan and Monroe.
- The quote, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do" at the base.
It’s a far cry from a simple name tag. It’s a full-on mural.
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What about Mariah's "Mrs. Cannon" ink?
Mariah’s approach to the "breakup tattoo" was much more... Mariah. She didn't go for a 30-hour religious epic. Instead, she leaned into her own branding.
By 2016, the "Mrs. Cannon" text inside her butterfly tattoo had been delicately filled in. She didn't get rid of the butterfly—after all, that’s her signature—but she had the center reworked with solid shading and swirling patterns. Now, it just looks like a standard, pretty butterfly.
Unless you’re looking with a magnifying glass and know exactly where the letters used to sit, you’d never know her ex-husband’s name was once the backbone of that insect.
The Eminem Factor: "The Warning"
You can't talk about Nick Cannon's back tattoo without mentioning the weirdly specific pop culture fallout. Back in 2009, during the peak of the Mariah vs. Eminem feud, Marshall Mathers dropped a diss track called "The Warning."
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In the song, Eminem claimed he had the "same exact tat" that was on Nick's back. This sent fans into a frenzy trying to figure out if Eminem actually had a "Mariah" tattoo. Spoiler: He didn't. It was a metaphor. Eminem was basically taunting Nick, suggesting he had the same "claim" to Mariah that Nick did. It was messy, it was petty, and it solidified that back piece as one of the most famous tattoos in music history.
Why "Love Tattoos" are a gamble
Tattoo artists generally advise against names. It's a jinx, they say. But celebrities rarely listen. For Nick and Mariah, those tattoos weren't just about love; they were about the brand of "Nick and Mariah."
The shift from "Mariah" to a religious crucifixion on Nick's back is a pretty loud statement about how he felt during the divorce. He told Extra back in the day that he’s a "candid dude" but that dealing with personal life in the public eye is a beast. The tattoo became his way of reclaiming his own skin.
If you’re thinking about getting a partner’s name tattooed, take a page from the Cannon-Carey playbook:
- Scale matters: Smaller tattoos (like Mariah's) are significantly easier to cover or laser off later.
- Placement is key: The back is a massive canvas, which means any cover-up has to be even larger and darker than the original.
- The "Jinx" is real: Even the most "forever" couples in Hollywood find themselves in the tattoo removal chair eventually.
Nick has since added more ink to his collection, including an "autobiographical" piece on his neck and chest. He seems to have embraced the idea that his body is a walking scrapbook of his life—mistakes, marriages, and all. Mariah, meanwhile, continues to live her best life, her butterfly tattoo successfully "emancipated" from its previous owner.
If you are looking to cover up your own "mistake" ink, start by consulting with an artist who specializes in heavy blackwork or large-scale illustrative pieces. Don't rush the process; as Nick's 30-hour session proves, doing it right the second time is a marathon, not a sprint.