Elon Musk’s Ex, Grimes, Flaunts ‘Innovative’ Face Tattoo, Leaving Fans Confused

The tech billionaire's musician ex recently posted a new photo online, but it left many wondering what they were supposed to see.

Avant-garde artist Claire Boucher, also known as Grimes and widely recognized for her past relationship with Elon Musk, stunned netizens with a new tattoo. However, the barely visible ink has left followers utterly bewildered.

A netizen reacts to Grimes' latest selfie, as posted on October 22, 2025 | Source: Instagram/grimes

"You could have the coolest face tattoo ever but you have this instead. I'm sorry but I'm so confused💀," one commenter remarked. Another simply called it "embarrassing," while a third mocked, "I remember my first Ringworm.."

Yet amid the mockery, a lone voice of support emerged. "It looks so great on youuu [sic]," one fan gushed.

Grimes and Elon Musk attend the Met Gala in New York City on May 7, 2018 | Source: Getty Images

The post in question, shared on October 22, features a selfie in which Grimes announced her new ink. She appears makeup-free, with tousled hair and oversized glasses. Faint, curved lines appear across her forehead and temples, so subtle they nearly disappear into her skin.

In her caption, Grimes revealed the internal hesitation behind the moment, "Spent like ten years emotionally working up to a face tattoo but I guess I drew on my face too much and literally no one noticed, not even my parents, not even after the video lol."

She credited tattoo artist Glyph for the barely-there design, calling it "something truly novel and innovative." Looking beyond her own ink, Grimes described the current era as a "crazy renaissance period" for tattoo culture — one she believes is going tragically unnoticed.

But the design isn't as new as it seems. In a post shared on X, Grimes casually revealed she had gotten the ink months ago, and yet, it went completely unnoticed, even by those closest to her. Despite its barely-there appearance, she called it her favorite.

For those with a sharp eye, the markings had already made a quiet debut. In her recent music video, "Artificial Angels," fans may have caught a glimpse.

Grimes performs against an anime-inspired backdrop in her music video Artificial Angels, wearing oversized glasses and a pastel satin robe, as posted on October 21, 2025 | Source: YouTube/grimes

In one scene, Grimes stands in a wooded setting, draped in a leather jacket and hiding behind round sunglasses. The delicate lines just barely peeking from beneath her platinum blonde hair.

Grimes is seen in a forest wearing sunglasses and a black leather jacket, with faint tattoo lines just visible under her hair, as posted on October 21, 2025 | Source: YouTube/grimes

In another fleeting shot, she appears on a digitally enhanced stage, striking her signature pose: oversized glasses, a finger to her lips — and once again, the design remains almost imperceptible.

Grimes’ interest in facial tattoos goes back at least to September 2022, when she posted a selfie on X and said she was seriously considering a white ink design. She added that the timing felt right.

Months before unveiling her barely-there face tattoo, Grimes had already stunned followers with a raw glimpse into her private world, revealing a deeply personal health diagnosis on social media.

Grimes attends the "Captain Marvel" premiere in Hollywood on March 4, 2019 | Source: Getty Images

She wrote on X on March 22, "Got diagnosed w adhd/ autism this year and realized I'm prob dyslexic which is why I can't spell at all without spellcheck [sic]."

Grimes walks the carpet at the iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards in Toronto on June 18, 2017 | Source: Getty Images

One of the conditions Grimes publicly mentioned was Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), defined by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) as a developmental disorder marked by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

While the occasional bout of restlessness or distraction is normal, those with ADHD live with these behaviors constantly, often across multiple settings — at school, work, or home — making day-to-day life significantly more difficult.

The "Nightmusic" singer reflected that if she'd been diagnosed earlier, many of her struggles and intense interests might have been dismissed as "pathological." She believes she likely would have been medicated and felt less motivated to overcome challenges. Looking back, she's glad she pushed through on her own.

Grimes attends the 2019 Roc Nation The Brunch in Los Angeles on February 9, 2019 | Source: Getty Images

Alongside her personal revelations, Grimes criticized a subculture of mental health accounts circulating on social media. She warned that while some offer genuinely helpful advice, others are spreading dangerous misinformation and act as "extreme infohazards."

Grimes expressed growing concern over the rise in self-diagnosing mental health conditions without any professional guidance. She also pointed out how mental illness can feel "contagious," recalling how school lessons on various conditions once caused her and her classmates to temporarily mimic symptoms.

Grimes performs at the Guggenheim Museum in New York on November 4, 2015 | Source: Getty Images

Grimes revealed that reading helped her manage her ADHD symptoms, calling it one of the best ways to improve focus and self-learning.

She also slammed ADHD-focused social media accounts for portraying beneficial habits like reading in a negative light. "I think the nature of this uninformed social media mental health subculture is rly a big concern [sic]," she wrote.

Grimes concluded her post by adding, "Some are great ofc but a lot of these seem like explicitly anti civilizational and geared towards making people worse [sic]."

The artist's openness about her health comes just a month after she publicly urged Elon to respond during their son's health emergency.

On February 20, in now-deleted tweets on X, Grimes accused her ex-boyfriend and father of her three children of ignoring her phone calls amid a "medical crisis."

Grimes and Elon Musk arrive at the 2018 Met Gala in New York City | Source: Getty Images

The "Genesis" singer reportedly wrote, "I am sorry to do this publicly but it is no longer acceptable to ignore this situation. This requires immediate attention. If you don't want to talk to me can you please designate or hire someone who can do that [so] we can move forward on solving this. This is urgent, Elon."

She further explained, "I'm not giving any details but he won't respond to texts calls or emails and has skipped every meeting and our child will suffer life long impairment if he doesn't respond asap, so I need him to [expletive] respond and if I have to apply public pressure then I guess that's where we are at. [sic]"

Grimes, however, did not specify which of her children was in need. She and Elon share two sons, X Æ A-Xii, 4, and Techno Mechanicus, 2, as well as a daughter, Exa Dark Sideræl, 3.

The SpaceX CEO did not respond to her now-deleted plea. Since then, Grimes has shared several posts on X. Some X users were confused when they were unable to see her previous posts and suspected that her account had been shadowbanned.

Elon Musk and Grimes at the Space X Hyperloop Pod Competition, in Hawthorne, California, on July 22, 2018 | Source: Getty Images

Others were puzzled by the sudden silence on the platform — one that's owned by Elon. The following day, Grimes explained she was deleting her posts "because if they're being shadow banned and not eliciting a response then all it is is a media circus at the expense of the kids."

This isn't the first time the vocalist and businessman, who dated from 2018 to 2022, have clashed. On February 11, Elon brought X Æ A-Xii with him to the Oval Office, where they joined U.S. President Donald Trump for a media briefing to discuss the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

For the press briefing, Elon wore a long black coat over a dark outfit, accessorizing with a matching "Make America Great Again" cap. X Æ A-Xii was dressed in a beige overcoat with a navy blue ensemble underneath and wore a gold chain as he stood confidently beside his father.

The young boy appeared to entertain Trump, who was seated at the Resolute Desk in a dark suit and blue tie. An X user who reacted to Musk's son's presence at the event wrote, "Lil X was very polite today! You raised him well. He was so cute when he told DJT 'please [sic] forgive me, I need to pee.'🥰."

Elon Musk with his son X Æ A-Xii standing next to President Donald Trump in the Oval Office in Washington, D.C. on February 11, 2025. | Source: Getty Images

The boy's mother saw the post and revealed she had no idea her ex would be making a public appearance with their child. She fired back with a now widely discussed message on X.

Grimes said, "He should not be in public like this. I did not see this, thank u [sic] for alerting me. But I'm glad he was polite. Sigh." When other social media users saw her post, they quickly shared their thoughts.

Elon Musk speaking as X Æ A-XII and Donald Trump look on. | Source: Getty Images

One supporter wrote, "No, he shouldn't be. You need to get tough, girl. He's your baby, not Elon's pet," while another noted, "Every time I see him, I wish he was with you, and his siblings. He has a great spirit. But I am worried for his influences and safety."

X Æ A-Xii stands in front of Elon Musk during an executive order signing. | Source: Getty images

Someone else remarked, "Is there anything you can do? It is quite disturbing that he uses X in that way. Trump seems to be getting annoyed too, not good for the kid to be in the middle of all this chaos."

X Æ A-Xii, Elon Musk, and Donald Trump. | Source: Getty Images

More people rallied behind Grimes as another netizen declared, "She's right!" Taking to Facebook, someone reiterated, "She's absolutely right, he's a child, not a prop!!" Sharing the same sentiments, a commenter stated, "I'm actually with her on this one lol."

Elon Musk and Grimes arrive for the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on May 7, 2018. | Source: Getty Images

Praising Grimes' efforts to protect her child's privacy, a supporter commended, "Yes mommy, take control of your baby!"

At the same time, an unsurprised social media user shared, "Was expecting something like this!" Someone else leapt to the artist's defense, writing, "She's protecting her child. The child doesn't need to be made a part of the spectacle that's going on!"

Donald Trump looking at X Æ A-Xii. | Source: Getty images

Grimes has been keeping her distance from Elon ever since their breakup. She and the Tesla CEO welcomed X in 2020, with Musk sharing a photo of himself cradling the newborn, wrapped in a hospital blanket.