A Deep Dive Into All Of Riley Keough's Tattoos
Riley Keough is a lot of things. She's an actor nominated for a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe and a director who won the Golden Camera award at the Cannes Film Festival. Keough is also the daughter of Lisa Marie Presley and the great-granddaughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley. On top of all that, she's a dedicated wife and a mom too. The "Mad Max: Fury Road" star is also a lover of body art or more specifically tattoos.
Most often, her array of inked designs are visible on the red carpet, particularly if she's gone sleeveless or strapless with her gowns, or in her personal Instagram photos. You won't always spot the tattoos in her onscreen work, though, as Keough's roles frequently call for a cover-up, as they did in the case of "Daisy Jones & the Six" — Keough has plenty of tattoos but, Daisy doesn't.
The star has seven total, some of which were added on a whim, and others with forethought and great significance commemorating significant moments or people in her life. "The funny thing about tattoos is you get them and they have this deep meaning, but then you kind of forget they're on your body," Keough admitted to The New York Times Style Magazine. From her collarbone to her foot, though, the actor's tattoos tell her story. "It's like a scrapbook," she noted.
The celestial connection: Gemini and the arrow moon
When the moment came to get her first tattoo, Riley Keough turned to the stars. Born on May 29, 1989, she falls under the sign of Gemini in the astrology universe. The symbol for Gemini is twins, with one of the more simplistic designs being the Roman numeral two, and that's what you'll find tattooed on the ring finger of Keough's right hand.
The "American Honey" star confirmed in an interview with Who What Wear that she relates to her zodiac sign, especially when it comes to her fashion choices. "I think I'm very malleable, and it's super Gemini [...] I have days where I'm like, 'I don't feel inspired to wear anything — I just want to wear a T-shirt and pants and sneakers,' and then another day where I feel really inspired to put a whole look together. I'm very inconsistent."
In addition to her Gemini symbol, Keough also has another celestial tattoo, this one on the side of her right foot. A crescent moon surrounded by stars and lightning bolts is pierced through with an arrow. Tatt Mag explains, "An arrow and moon tattoo represents the divine masculine and feminine coming together." Although the actor hasn't mentioned the design, she did get the tattoo the same year she married her husband, so it may be in honor of their union.
Considering a different perspective: the hanged man
On the inside of her right wrist, Riley Keough has a tattoo representing "The Hanged Man" card in a tarot deck. The illustrations on tarot cards can vary, much like Zodiac signs, and Keough's version is a simplified, geometric design. The name of the card may seem ominous, but it's actually not as dire as it sounds. In more detailed illustrations, the man hanging is not distressed, but rather hanging out, or taking a breather.
According to Daily Tarot Draw, "Most often it suggests that you need to take a step back and reassess your current situation. You may be feeling stuck or like you're at a crossroads. This is a time to be introspective and to consider all your options very carefully." The card also carries the message of practicing patience and observation.
It suggests that viewing the world from a different perspective is advantageous, as is being patient and waiting for the right answers or solutions. The tarot deck is something Keough is very familiar with. "I grew up with my dad reading tarot card books and metaphysics," she explained to Vanity Fair, referring to her father, Danny Keough.
Honoring her brother: Benjamin Storm
In July 2020, Riley Keough sadly lost her brother, Benjamin Storm Keough. Benjamin was 27 years old when he died by suicide. They were very close, and the actor was completely devastated by her brother's passing. "The first four or five months, I couldn't get out of bed," she revealed to The New York Times. "I was totally debilitated. I couldn't talk for two weeks." In honor of his memory, Riley got Benjamin's name tattooed just above her collarbone.
She shared both his tattoo and the unveiling of her own in an Instagram highlight reel entitled "Ben Ben," a sweet tribute to her younger brother. The location of the Benjamin tattoo is significant; it's a nod to the exact place Benjamin had "Riley" inked to honor his big sister. The "Daisy Jones & The Six" star also used a similar flowing font, and both siblings dotted the letter "i" with a heart.
On the anniversary of Benjamin's death, in 2022, the star posted a message on Instagram about still feeling his loss: "Not an hour goes by where I don't think of you and miss you."
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Everything on the left all at once: Mayan, Zeppelin, and a bracelet
The tattoo that surrounds Riley Keough's left wrist is the only one she has on the left side of her body. While it appears to be one big substantial tattoo, it's actually several combined into one. The first part of the tattoo, which originally stood on its own for a while, is a box divided by a crooked line, topped with four bold dots. Keough explained its meaning to The Guardian, noting, "That's Mayan. It means I'm a Self-Existing World Bridger — which is quite a serious job."
She subsequently had four additional symbols inked above the Mayan design in an homage to Led Zeppelin. The rock band initially released their fourth studio album without a title, identified by only four symbols, one to represent each member of the band. Keough's tattoos match these symbols. The final element that ties everything together was the last to be added, a decorative chain bracelet that wraps around her entire wrist.
American Honey mementos: Nope and 071
In 2016, Riley Keough appeared in the hit indie movie "American Honey," which follows a group of young adults traveling through the midwestern states while selling magazines. The cast, which included Shia LaBeouf and a variety of mostly unknown talents, emerged during a cross-country road trip with director Andrea Arnold, and a lot of bonding happened behind the scenes. Two of Keough's tattoos are from her time on this project.
Her "Nope" ink is located on the outside of her right wrist. While lots of meaning could be placed on the solitary word, the actor clarified that the reason for it was much more spur-of-the-moment than it seemed. "Everyone was getting tattooed out of boredom, so I just got one, too," she informed Flaunt. "There's that song 'Choices' by E-40 in the movie where he says 'yup' and 'nope' a lot. Someone got the 'yup,' so I got the 'nope.'"
You'll also find a "071" tattoo on Keough's right arm, just below her elbow. She and her fellow "American Honey" cast mates all got the same three-digit ink, in their own style, in honor of the movie. The highway they traveled on for the flick was number 71.