Barrymore to erase tats for Jewish burial
Newlywed actress wants to surgically remove her body art, so she can one day be buried in a traditional Jewish cemetery
Actress Drew Barrymore will have her six tattoos removed by laser surgery, reportedly over worries that the ornamentation on her body might prevent her from eventually receiving a Jewish burial, Star magazine reported last week.
Barrymore, who achieved fame as a child star and had a period of high-profile substance abuse as a teen, recently married Jewish art consultant Will Kopelman and has since been thinking of converting to Judaism.
“It’s a beautiful faith and I’m so honored to be around it,” Barrymore told talk show hosts on “The View.” “It’s so family-oriented… the stories are so beautiful and it’s incredibly enlightening. I’m really happy,” she said.
Tattoos are strictly forbidden according to traditional Jewish law; some cemeteries are reputed to refuse burying people with body art.
Barrymore, 37, was self-admittedly raised as a “hippie” by actor father John Barrymore, but says she “loves” practicing Judaism.
The tattoos Barrymore hopes to remove include two angels on her back, a butterfly on her stomach, a bouquet of flowers on her hip, a Cross on her leg, and a crescent moon on her toe.