The Truth About Tom Hardy’s ‘Leo’ Tattoo

A lot of celebrities have a lot of tattoos. And Tom Hardy is one of them. All of his ink has meaning, but there’s one particular tattoo that fans are interested in.

The thing is, the story behind Tom Hardy’s ‘Leo’ tattoo might not be what fans expect.

How Many Tattoos Does Tom Hardy Have?

Tom Hardy has a total of at least 18 tattoos, and he’s explained that each one has a special meaning or memory attached. Though the ink isn’t always visible for each of his acting roles, he doesn’t seem to regret any, nor has he had them removed. And they definitely haven’t impacted his career in any way.

And that includes the one that commemorates his pal Leonardo DiCaprio. Of course, Hardy has joked that with so many tattoos already, what’s one more, even if it’s terrible? That is to say, Tom doesn’t think his tattoos are poorly done, just that he hasn’t always made the best design choices.

But when it came to Tom Hardy’s Leo tattoo, he claimed he didn’t have much of a choice.

Does Leo DiCaprio Have A Tattoo?

The hilarious story behind why Tom Hardy got his Leo tattoo is pretty simple. Essentially, Hardy was so unsure that he’d earn an Oscar nomination back in 2016 that he set a wager with Leonardo DiCaprio.

Leo thought that Tom would receive a nomination, and their bet involved the loser getting a tattoo of the other’s choosing. The thing is, Tom explained later, is that Leo doesn’t have any tattoos — so Tom isn’t so sure that DiCaprio would’ve gotten inked had he lost.

As it turned out, Leo didn’t lose, so Tom added to his collection of tattoos.

Are Leonardo DiCaprio And Tom Hardy Friends?

Knowing what Tom’s tattoo says, it’s not hard to believe that he and Leonardo DiCaprio are friends. Tom’s tattoo, which he says Leo demanded, reads “Leo knows all.”

And who else, other than a true friend, would get that kind of sentiment written on their skin in permanent ink? Still, there are lingering questions about how the story played out and just why Hardy went through with it.

The Truth Behind Tom Hardy’s Leo Tattoo

To be fair, the truth behind Tom’s tattoo is that Leo likely didn’t pressure him into it. Plus, that wasn’t even the original message.

The original script stated “Leo knows everything” and was crudely scribbled on a Post-It, said Tom. Clearly, there was some thought put into the finalized tattoo’s placement, script, and execution — it wasn’t done on a drunken post-Oscar party night.

Plus, fans aren’t sure whether Leo chose the location, so the story of him pressuring Tom into this particular tattoo may not be the entire truth.

Maybe Tom had more of an opinion on the matter than he lets on — and maybe he wanted the publicity of having his good [famous] friend’s name slapped on his body.