The Real Meaning Behind LeAnn Rimes' Tattoos

Country music sensation LeAnn Rimes was just 13 years old when she burst onto the scene with her take on Bill Mack's 1958 classic hit, "Blue." She was also the youngest person to ever win a Grammy, scooping up Best New Artist and Best Female Country Vocal Performance a year later in 1997. And who could forget her sexy rendition of "Can't Fight the Moonlight" atop a Hooters-style bar in the musical rom-com, Coyote Ugly?

The talented star is just as well-known for her personal life as she is for her career. In 2009, Rimes and then-husband Dean Sheremet divorced in the wake of her affair with her Northern Lights co-star and eventual second husband, Eddie Cibrian. The pair wed in Los Angeles in 2011 and have officially put to bed all the negativity that flared up at the onset of their controversial relationship. But with such a unique story (thus far), it makes sense that Rimes would want to commemorate the personal and professional milestones in her life.

Turns out, the songbird is quite a fan of body ink and has a number of delicate phrasal tattoos, almost all of which carry a deeper meaning. So, what do they symbolize? 

Among LeAnn Rimes' collection of tats, there are two that honor her longtime love, Eddie Cibrian. In 2012, the country star inked the words "the only one that matters" across the top of her right foot, per Taste of Country, explaining that the phrase emerged from a conversation with her significant other. "It's just a little something [my husband] said on our vacation," Rimes told the outlet. "It was sweet." Later, she elaborated that "it's something Eddie said I was to him." 

The sentimental inking joins the dainty "E" that Rimes tattooed on her ring finger in 2013, according to Taste of Country. Of course, "E" is for Cibrian's first name Eddie, who carries a corresponding "L" on the same finger. Rimes was quick to share news of the matching body art on Twitter, when a fan asked about the design in response to a photo of Rimes' nail polish. Forget wearing your heart on your sleeve — this couple wears their love for one another straight on their skin!

As well as her loved-up tats, LeAnn Rimes also has a few inspirational ones: the word "love" on the small of her back; the word "Trust" on her left wrist; the phrase "Still I Rise" on her hip, which was taken from the popular poem of the same name by Maya Angelou; and an arrow on her right wrist. "OK, getting an arrow as my next tattoo! Follow Your Arrow is my theme song!!" Rimes tweeted in 2013, alluding to the song by country musician Kacey Musgraves. With lyrics like, "Follow your arrow / wherever it points," the song preaches a message of living and loving freely, without judgment.

Rimes also has a feather on her ribcage, which she documented in 2014 on her reality show, LeAnn & Eddie. According to her IMDb page, Rimes got the tattoo to celebrate the end of her long-time recording contract. "After 20 years, I am finally out of my record contract," the singer explained to Daily Mail. "My contract is known in the music business as one of the worst, if not the worst in history."

In 2019, LeAnn Rimes celebrated her faith with a new tattoo, but the inked rendering sparked instant backlash, per USA Today. "Thank you @winterstone for my beautiful new ink," Rimes wrote in the caption of her Instagram post, which included a slide of her being tattooed on her inner forearm, as well as a closeup of the words "god's work." While plenty of the singer's fans complimented the delicate tat, others took exception to the fact that she didn't capitalize the letter "G."

"It's God. Not god. FYI," one commenter wrote. "God is spelled with a capital G always." Another asked, "Why didn't you capitalize the G in Gods work? ...g is totally wrong." User @markfreitasart, whose bio identifies him as a tattoo practitioner, focused on Rimes' tattoo artist, writing that he was "actually surprised that the tattooer didn't recommend a capital G."

But because this is the ever shifting world of social media we're talking about, just as many commenters threw their support behind Rimes. "God or god – he knows your heart. Have a fabulous day," one wrote. At the end of the day, it's Rimes' decision as to what she inks on her body, and it's sweet to see the way she's chosen to pay tribute to the meaningful things in her life, as they will (literally) always be a part of her.