When Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey got married back in 2008, after about six weeks of dating, they revealed that they got tattoos for each other, which they showed off in People Magazine. I wrote at the time that the difference between their tattoos was incredible and that Mariah “has a small butterfly at the base of her spine with ‘Mrs. Cannon’ in script as the center line of the butterfly. It’s nearly impossible to see and you can’t tell that the center of the butterfly is actual writing unless you’re right up close.” Nick, on the other hand, had Mariah’s name tattooed across the top of his back in huge writing that you couldn’t miss. (You can see Nick’s original tattoo circled in the People cover below and also on The Daily Mail and TMZ.) So it looked like Nick was in it for life and Mariah was hedging her bets. They lasted six years, which is kind of amazing when you consider their likely dynamic.

Now that Nick and Mariah are going through a divorce and divvying up their massive assets, Nick has covered up the Mariah tattoo with a full back tribute to Jaysus. It features a crucifixion scene in the middle (which he originally got back in October) with a cherub on either side representing his twins. The bottom of Nick’s tattoo reads “Father Forgive Them, For They Know Not What They Do.” TMZ has a photo of the whole tattoo if you’re interested and they reveal that it took 30 freaking hours to get this latest work done. That’s crazy.

Nick’s new tattoo earned him the cover of Urban Ink Magazine, above, which will feature photos of the no-doubt painful process. I only have a couple of tattoos I got when I was very young, and I doubt I would do it again. I’ve considered it, but mine are relatively small and both hurt like a bitch to get. Plus there’s the issue of finding a decent artist to ink something that will be on your body until death, unless you get another tattoo or go through laser treatments.

Anyway, Nick, 34, has had a ton of tattoos done lately including a full sleeve. I’ve heard they can be cathartic and he must be going through a rough time in his divorce. He isn’t letting the grass grow under his feet, though. Nick has been linked to Nicole Murphy, 47, whom he’s been seen out with twice, including on Valentine’s Day. He also was spotted this last weekend at a grocery store in New Jersey, where he now lives, with a hot “mystery woman.” (Page Six has the photo of the two of them together, although it’s hard to tell that it’s Nick.)

Nick recently started renting an $11,000 a month, $3 million estate in Jersey with the option to buy. Mariah sold their mansion in Bel Air earlier this month for $9 million and Nick is suing to determine how the proceeds from the sale will be split between them. He claims he had no say in the sale. Compared to getting divorced, having burning needles pierce your back for hours doesn’t seem so bad.

photo credit: WENN.com