Kate Beckinsale is paying tribute to her late mother in the most permanent way—ink that lasts forever.
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On Friday, the 52-year-old actress posted an Instagram photo of her arm, debuting a new tattoo: a full-length sketch of her mother, Judy Loe. Above the new ink are the words “Fatherless scum” and a drawing of Peepo, the wild fox she had been feeding in her backyard.
“If everyone would stop dying, I wouldn’t have so many tattoos,” Beckinsale joked alongside the snaps.
In the caption, the Underworld star also gave a shout-out to Hollywood-based artist Doc Woo for the new tattoo.
The series of snaps features several angles of the tattooed arm, shown in both black-and-white and color photos. The final image is a vintage candid of Beckinsale’s mother, whose likeness inspired the tattoo.
The image is from the 1970s British children’s fantasy TV series Ace of Wands. In it, Loe wears a slim long-sleeve top, hot shorts, and knee-high white Go-go boots. On her shoulder rests a mysterious owl.
Fans React to Kate Beckinsale’s New Tattoo
Beckinsale’s fans showed their love for the new ink in the comments section of her post.
“She looks like a superhero on your arm,” one fan wrote before adding, “so sorry for your loss. I lost my mum at 13; there is no pain like it.”
“Kate…that’s so beautiful! It took my breath away! I know that she’s with you…so beautiful,” another fan added.
Meanwhile, one fan asked about the bird on her mother’s shoulder in the tattoo.
“Is that an owl on your mum’s shoulder?” they wondered. The Pearl Harbor star replied, “Yes. His name is Ozymandias.”
Well, that’s quite a name for an owl… “Ozymandias” comes from a sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelley, first published in 1818, which ponders the fleeting nature of power.
In mid-July, Beckinsale announced her mother’s death. “She died the night of July 15th in my arms after immeasurable suffering,” the actress wrote at the time.
While Loe’s specific cause of death was not revealed, Beckinsale had been open about her mother’s battle with stage-four cancer for the previous two years. Over the years, Beckinsale frequently used social media to share sweet moments with her mother.