- In a candid game of “Never Have I Ever” with Ellen DeGeneres, Liam Payne from One Direction revealed a surprising regret: a bold tattoo he got back in 2012 as a tribute to his bandmates. The tattoo features four thick black chevrons running down his right arm, symbolizing each member of One Direction. At the time, Payne’s tattoo was meant to honor the bond he shared with his four bandmates, but as fans know, that group dynamic changed when Zayn Malik left the band in 2015. Now, the tattoo doesn’t quite fit its original purpose, and Payne admits it’s something he regrets.
Reflecting on the tattoo, Payne shared that he had immediate second thoughts. He recalled waking up after getting inked and feeling a surge of regret, even searching for ways to remove it. “I woke up in bed and the first thing I Googled was how do I get this thing off me?” Payne admitted with a laugh. But he wasn’t the only one who wasn’t thrilled—his parents also had strong reactions. His mother cried upon seeing the bold chevrons, and his father was equally upset. It quickly became clear to Payne that his tribute tattoo may have been a mistake.
As Ellen humorously reminded him, tattoo removal is a painful process, sometimes even more so than getting the tattoo itself. Despite his regrets, the tattoo remains a permanent part of Payne’s life. Even though he considered removing it, he ultimately decided to keep the tattoo as a reminder of that chapter in his life, with all its highs and lows.
Over time, Payne has found ways to embrace the chevron design. Although the tattoo originally represented each band member, he’s reinterpreted it as part of his own journey, with one chevron for himself. Since then, he’s continued to add more ink to his right arm, allowing the chevrons to blend in with other designs, making the tattoo feel more like a cohesive part of his body art.
For now, the tattoo serves as a unique piece of One Direction history and a reminder of Payne’s years in the band. Though it may not have turned out the way he envisioned, it’s become a symbol of growth and change for the singer, blending his past with his present in an unexpected way.
