Ed Sheeran reveals lion tattoo was a hoax as he posts photo of his bare chest on Instagram
Fans react with relief at what we have dubbed '#NonExistentLionTattooGate'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Ed Sheeran caused outrage among his fanbase last month by getting a huge, multicoloured lion tattooed on his chest. Some thought it was ugly, some found it distasteful, and some considered it a touching tribute to Cecil, the slain lion from Zimbabwe.
But the singer has revealed that the whole thing was a massive hoax, Instagramming his bare chest to his 4.7 million followers with the caption “Was only joking about the lion”.
The inking was reportedly to commemorate Sheeran's sold-out shows at Wembley.
Some fans are celebrating the news after finding the tattoo a bit ‘full on’. Feedback was so negative earlier this month that Sheeran spoke out, saying his opinion was "the only one that matters" after Tom from Keane even voiced his disapproval.
Now that the news has been debunked, though, it begs the question: is nothing sacred?
Maybe One Direction aren't really breaking up. Maybe Jon Stewart didn't retire. Maybe Donald Trump running for president is just a massive joke. We should be permenantly suspicious in the wake of #NonExistentLionTattooGate.
With Sheeran’s lion tattoo completely fabricated, it’s hard to know how to separate the truth from lies.
While Tom from Keane has not yet responded to the new information, several conspiracy theorists have their suspicions that this whole ‘tattoo prank’ may itself be a prank.
More information as we get it.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments