“Don’t judge a book by its cover” is a well‑known saying, but every now and then, people need a reminder. When a parent doesn’t look the way you typically expect, judging them based solely on appearance can be incredibly unfair.
When people saw his face tattoos, they called him a bad father. But then his wife revealed something no one was prepared for. Keep reading to learn more…
Self‑expression is a fundamental part of being yourself, and tattoos are a powerful way for people to express themselves through art. Fifty‑one‑year‑old Richard Huff has chosen tattoos as his form of expression and now has more than 240 of them.
The self‑proclaimed ink addict has a family with five children and his wife. She often posts videos and photos of him with their kids, which aren’t always well received by viewers.
Huff wants people to know their family is “no different” from any other. Still, he says strangers online constantly mock him because of his appearance.
He explained how it all began. “It became an addiction. I started with my legs and worked my way up,” Huff said. He shared that 85% of his body is now covered in tattoos, including the names of his children and his daughter’s lips.
“I want to be 100% covered in tattoos, probably within the next four years,” Richard said. “I don’t know if it’s the pain or the artwork you put on yourself, but it becomes fascinating when you’re able to do this.”
He admitted that having so many tattoos comes with challenges. Children at his kids’ school have said he looks scary. His daughter explained, “They say, ‘ah, it’s a bit scary,’ and I say, ‘no, my dad is not scary—he’s just good with tattoos.’”
His wife Marita revealed she was scared of Richard at first, too. “I did judge Richard based on his looks at first, but as I got to know him, he’s actually a big‑hearted person,” she said.
She often posts about her husband and how he loves her in a way no one else has. She highlights all the positives and how he is a wonderful husband and father. Marita had three children from previous relationships and says Richard is more than a real father to them because of how much he has stepped up.
Richard added, “I participate in the PTA. I go to all my kids’ functions.”
But even with all this information about his gentle nature, people still criticize him. One comment read, “I’m not against tattoos, but honestly, does he really need tattoos on his face like that?”
Others defend him. One person wrote, “Everyone keeps talking about his face tattoo. He likes it. He got it. He’s a good father. Let him be.”
Richard has addressed the negativity himself. “If somebody can make negative comments like that, there’s something wrong with them that they would have to judge somebody else,” he said. “This is what we did, and we’re happy. We’ve been together six years, our kids are happy, and to us, that’s all that matters.” He added that while the negative comments can be overwhelming at times, they don’t change how much he loves his family—or how much they love him. “Having tattoos does not scare my children. It does not make me a bad father. It gives my kids a different perspective on life,” he said.
If you enjoyed this piece, you might like the story of Melanie Griffith’s tattoo for Antonio Banderas and the surprising way it looks today, nearly a decade after their divorce.
