'I'm Not Ashamed': Renowned Tattoo Artist Kat Von D Explains Baptism, Talks About Her Church
Renowned tattooist and makeup artist Kat Von D is speaking out just days after sharing with the world that she had been baptized at her small church in Vevay, Indiana.
Von D — whose full name is Katherine von Drachenberg — publicly professed her faith in Jesus one year after announcing she was turning away from witchcraft and the occult. In July 2022, the former reality TV star wrote in an Instagram post that she was giving up her interest in the “macabre,” explaining, “It’s never been more clear to me that there is a spiritual battle taking place, and I want to surround myself and my family with love and light.”
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In a video posted to her Instagram Sunday afternoon, the 41-year-old celebrity said that — for the time being — she doesn’t plan to speak too often about her burgeoning faith, because it’s new and she wants to grow in her relationship with the Lord without being weighed down by the burden of the public eye.
She did, though, say she will likely share her testimony on an upcoming podcast episode with Christian and conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey, whom she described as a friend.
“I don’t really feel equipped to be the poster child for Christianity,” Von D said. “I think that I’m still learning and, as I do, I will become more equipped, but, for the time being, I feel like — I’ve never really been that and I don’t plan on doing that.”
The former “LA Ink” star shifted her focus to talking about the reactions she received to her baptism.
She described the responses to her new faith as “overwhelmingly beautiful.”
“Me and my husband and my son, we’d go out to go get lunch throughout the week and people would just come out of nowhere wanting to give me a hug and congratulate me and welcome me to the family, which I love, and it’s been pretty awesome,” she said.
Aware that most of her fanbase is not Christian, Von D said she was anticipating more backlash.
“But this is where I’m at and, to me, my baptism was a public demonstration of where I stand with my faith and basically letting people know that I’m not ashamed,” the tattoo artist said. “And so that’s why I really wanted to share it with people. And if there was anyone out there that felt like they were at a crossroads and don’t feel like you fit in — because I don’t feel like I fit in anywhere now, or that I ever have, to be honest — you’re not alone.”
Von D went on to note that, to her surprise, most of the criticism she received online was from social media users who identified as Christians, rather than her atheist followers.
“It was really the Christians who were the worst,” she said. “It was really just sad to see this critical display of judgment from Christians, and I don’t understand what would inspire that, aside from something that’s more egoic [sic], because that isn’t Christlike, to judge people or judge people’s journey. You would think that most Christians would be happy for you when you come to this point in your life, especially when you get baptized.”
“Baptism is so beautiful and it’s such a big landmark in time — for me, at least, if was one of the most important days of my life, so it’s strange that these handful of negative, critical Christians would come at me in such a public way,” Von D continued, noting some detractors claimed her salvation “a PR stunt to get clicks and follows or views, which I think is so weird, because my Instagram is not monetized,” further noting the majority of her followers would be “turned off” by her newfound Christian faith.
Much of the criticism, Von D explained, centered on the way she dresses, predominately in black with dark makeup.
“I think it’s really insane that we live in a time where people still judge a book by its cover,” she said, joking, “I wasn’t aware that there’s a uniform that you’re supposed to wear once you give your heart to Jesus.”
She also addressed those critical of the way in which she was baptized, noting the criticisms of every detail of the service miss the point of the action.
“I didn’t get baptized to be saved,” Von D said. “I was already saved. And I didn’t get baptized to make it about me; it was never about me.”
Despite the critical comments she received from strangers on social media, the celebrity said she loves them “no matter what, even if you don’t like what you’re seeing or the things I’m saying.”
She then gave a “shout-out” to her church, Switzerland Baptist Church. You can see Von D singing in the church’s small choir in the video below:
“Our little choir, we sing from the heart,” she said. “We might not be the best, but we sing from the heart and I think that’s what worship is and what it should be. I love that my little humble church was so warm and welcoming to all my friends who flew out and have embraced me and my family so deeply that I’ve never really felt this feeling of family.”
She added, “I’m just so grateful that I’m here and I’m able to share this with my new church family.”
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