The Inspiration Behind Jacob Sartorius' Crown Tattoo
Like many social media sensations, Jacob Sartorius first got his start on the popular video-hosting site Vine, though it wasn't until the teen created a Musical.ly (TikTok's predecessor) account that he truly made it big. Sartorius' outgoing personality and entertaining lip-sync videos quickly made waves, cementing him as one of the app's top-earning stars.
In 2016, Sartorius signed with T3 Music Group, delighting his fanbase with fresh bops, including "Sweatshirt," "Better With You," and "Party Goes Harder." While Sartorius hasn't released any new music yet in 2020, he's been keeping busy over the past year by churning out new content for his YouTube channel, as well as stirring up dating rumors with Baby Ariel and getting his first-ever tattoo.
Toward the end of 2019, the freshly inked singer took to Instagram to unveil a delicate crown behind his ear that he claimed has a personal significance. But what does it really mean? Let's take a closer look!
Jacob Sartorius' tat was inspired by LeBron James
In a post (which has since been removed from Jacob Sartorius' Instagram page), the talented teen revealed (via Just Jared Jr.) that he was 10 years old when he read a book outlining how LeBron James had overcome a difficult childhood to become "the king of his craft." Apparently, James' story impacted Sartorius so deeply that even now, years later, it's a reminder to push forward in pursuit of greatness.
— Jacob Sartorius (@jacobsartorius) January 24, 2020
The deleted pic featured a black-and-white rendering of the small crown, accompanied by a thoughtful caption. "When i was about 10 i read this book about LeBron James called 'King of the court' and it talked about LeBron's upbringing and how he had been through so much yet became the king of his craft," Sartorius wrote underneath the photo (via Seventeen). "This tattoo shows me that no matter what i've been through i will strive to be the king of my court."
The inking takes on an even deeper meaning given Sartorius' history with bullying and bouts of insecurity.
Jacob Sartorius took a stand against bullying to get where he is today
Jacob Sartorius has been vocal about a difficult period growing up in Herndon, Va., where he wore braces, suffered asthma attacks and was the victim of bullying. In 2016, he revealed on Twitter that he'd "tried 3 different schools last school year and still got verbally attacked, pushed and teased for things as small as my ears."
Speaking with Billboard that same year, Sartorius explained that he was also bullied for participating in musicals — and it wasn't until he got started on the Musical.ly app that he was able to gain self-confidence. "Before Musical.ly, I wasn't the most outgoing," the teen shared. "The app helped me goof off. It's like no one is watching besides the camera."
In Tiger Beat's #19Under19 video, Sartorius discussed his participation in anti-bullying campaigns. "It's just been awesome to get to work on an actual cause that I believe in and I've had to deal with and I know what it's like to be bullied," he admitted. "So I just want to be one of the voices where people know that I went through that too, I was there."
While Sartorius' struggles might be different than those LeBron James faced, both have clearly transcended their pasts to pursue greatness. In James' case, his star is already well-established, but Sartorius is still on the rise. We can't wait to see what he'll do next.