Today's Evil Beet Gossip

Drew Barrymore’s Getting Her Tattoos Removed For Judaism

When Drew Barrymore married husband Will Kopelman last summer, she knew it was for keeps – and that she’d eventually want to convert to Judaism since that’s Will’s background and they hope to raise their daughter Olive in the Jewish faith, as well. Since Drew never does anything half-assed, she’s apparently decided to have her tattoos surgically removed to be more in line with the tenets of her new religion.

From Star magazine (via Now):

The actress will undergo painful laser surgery because she won’t be allowed to get buried in a traditional Jewish cemetery if she’s still inked at death.

The Torah – a book of Jewish scriptures – bans body art with the words: ‘You shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead, or incise any marks on yourselves.’

Drew, 37 – who married art dealer Will in June 2012 – has six tatts, including a bouquet of flowers on her hip, a butterfly on her stomach and a cross on her leg.

It seems converting to Judaism isn’t the only reason the mum-of-one wants to get rid of her etchings.

‘Drew also wants to be a Santa Barbara mom, and tattoos clash with that wardrobe,’ a source tells Star.

First of all, what in the hell is a “Santa Barbara mom”? Also, tattoos clash with the wardrobe? Any wardrobe has pieces that can cover up tattoos – unless you have your face inked or something – so that’s just bizarre and being a Santa Barbara mom sounds like a nightmare. Anyway, everyone can do what they’d like and best of luck to the happy couple, tattoos or no.

8 CommentsLeave a comment

  • I grew up in Santa Barbara and can vouch for what that source said. SB moms are just as catty as Orange County ones, but think they’re much more classy and are really judgy of tattoos.

  • I kind of doubt Drew is worried about the judginess of the SB moms. She’s been judged and picked apart and watched in the public eye her entire life. I’d hate to think that she’s suddenly overly-concerned about what people think of her tattoos.

  • It is not true that you can’t be buried in a Jewish cemetary with tattoos. This is an urban legend that really bugs me. There are some ultra-Orthodox who might ban it, yes, but DB’s husband is NOT part of those groups. While tattoos are forbidden, it is always assumed that the deceased repented their tattoos before death (even if they didn’t get them removed) and they are buried anyway; and particularly if you got the tattoos before conversion, it’s irrelevant, because it’s considered in Jewish law a different life.

    In fact, I’ve known ultra-Orthodox Jews who became religious and had tattoos from earlier in their lives, who were told NOT to get the tattoos removed, because while tattoos are considered a form of self-mutilation and therefore forbidden, getting them removed is also considered self-mutilation, so you just leave it alone.

    Back to random celebrity snark: DB’s Olive is going to be cuter than SBC’s Olive.