Etching a tattoo on her longtime tattoo artist's leg despite the fact that she doesn't own the legal license to do so, Rihanna is investigated for illegal tattooing.
- July 3, 2009
AceShowbiz -
Post the famous assault done by ex-boyfriend Chris Brown, Rihanna is facing a new problem as she is put under investigation for illegal tattooing. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has confirmed the matter to MTV News.
Rihanna, who is an avid tattoo fan, was spotted visiting East Side Ink in New York on Wednesday night, July 1, accompanied by a few friends and a bodyguard. There, she met her longtime tattoo artist, BangBang, and ended up etching a tattoo on his body.
East Side Ink owner Yadira revealed that Rihanna and her companion spent their time "just hanging out and joking" with BangBang, who at the end of the day decided that he wanted the R 'n' B singer to give him a tattoo. "[Rihanna was] not necessarily getting tattoo lessons. She came by originally to say 'hi,' and she ended up tatting BangBang," explained Yadira, adding that Rihanna gave BangBang an "R" on his leg.
Pleased with her work, Rihanna decided to ink the bodies of some other tattoo artists who work at the inks parlor. "Then Josh Lord got an 'R' with '2' on his leg, and Patrick Conlon got an 'R3' on his arm," Yadira revealed. "She hadn't done that before. We had a blast. It was so funny and cute."
Unfortunately, Rihanna didn't realize that her action was considered illegal in the city. "Only licensed tattoo artists can administer tattoos in the city according to the City's Health Code. We are sending someone to follow up on this," local Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has confirmed. Due to such fact, the department then sent someone to the tattoo parlor to investigate the incident.
Per TMZ, Rihanna could be charged with three misdemeanors for the offense, with penalties as much as $300 for the first offense, $500 for the second and $1,000 for the third offense. Additionally, sources told the site that East Side Ink could also be facing fines if further investigation is pursued. At the time of writing, there has been no comment just yet from either Rihanna or East Side Ink regarding the report.
