History of Kat Von D in Timeline
"Kat Von D", born Katherine von Drachenberg, is a Mexican-American multifaceted artist. Primarily known for her tattoo artistry showcased on TLC's "LA Ink", she gained international recognition. Beyond television, she ventured into entrepreneurship with her brand "Kat Von D Beauty" and later delved into music, releasing her debut single "Exorcism" in 2021 from her album "Love Made Me Do It".
March 8, 1982: Birth of Kat Von D
Kat Von D was born on March 8, 1982.
2003: Marriage to Oliver Peck
Kat Von D and fellow tattoo artist Oliver Peck were married in 2003.
2006: Offensive Language in Myspace Bio
As of April 9, 2006, Kat Von D's Myspace bio included offensive language, sparking criticism.
2006: Friendship with Jeffree Star Begins
Kat Von D and Jeffree Star began their public friendship in 2006.
July 2007: Kat Von D Achieves Sobriety
Kat Von D made the decision to stop drinking alcohol in July 2007 after it began to impact her work.
August 7, 2007: "LA Ink" Premieres
Kat Von D's reality television show, "LA Ink," premiered in the United States on August 7, 2007, showcasing her work as a tattoo artist.
August 2007: Separation and Divorce
Kat Von D and Oliver Peck separated in August 2007 and finalized their divorce later that year.
December 2007: Guinness World Record for Most Tattoos in 24 Hours
In December 2007, Kat Von D broke the Guinness World Record for the most tattoos given by a single person in 24 hours, completing 400 tattoos.
2007: Relationship with Alex "Orbi" Orbison
Kat Von D began dating Alex "Orbi" Orbison in 2007, a relationship which was documented on the first season of "LA Ink."
February 2008: Relationship with Nikki Sixx
Kat Von D began a relationship with Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx in February 2008.
2008: MusInk Tattoo Convention and Music Festival Launch
Kat Von D founded the MusInk Tattoo Convention and Music Festival, which debuted in 2008.
2008: Kat Von D Launches Makeup Line
Kat Von D launched her own makeup line in 2008 with Sephora.
2008: Anti-Semitic Imagery Accusation
Kat Von D was accused in 2008 of sending anti-Semitic imagery to her former employer, Ami James. Von D denied the allegations.
2008: End of Relationship
Kat Von D and Alex "Orbi" Orbison ended their relationship by the beginning of "LA Ink" season 2 in 2008.
January 2009: "High Voltage Tattoo" Release
Kat Von D's first book, "High Voltage Tattoo," a compilation of her artwork and tattoos, was released in January 2009 and reached #6 on The New York Times Best Seller list.
2009: Book Signing Support
Jeffree Star showed his support for Von D by attending and assisting at her book signings for "High Voltage Tattoo" in 2009.
January 2010: Breakup with Nikki Sixx
Kat Von D and Nikki Sixx broke up in January 2010 after dating for almost two years.
August 19, 2010: Confirmation of Relationship with Jesse James
Kat Von D confirmed media reports that she was dating Jesse James on August 19, 2010.
September 2, 2010: Wonderland Gallery Opens
Kat Von D opened Wonderland Gallery, an art gallery and boutique, on September 2, 2010.
October 26, 2010: "The Tattoo Chronicles" Release
Kat Von D's second book, "The Tattoo Chronicles," an illustrated diary, was released on October 26, 2010, and became a New York Times bestseller.
2010: Partners' Nazi-Related Controversies
Kat Von D faced criticism due to her partner at the time, Jesse James, being involved in controversies related to Nazi imagery in 2010. Her husband, Rafael Reyes, also had a swastika tattoo, which he later removed.
2010: Continued Support for Von D's Work
Jeffree Star once again showed his support for Von D by attending her book signing for "The Tattoo Chronicles" in 2010.
January 2011: Engagement to Jesse James
Kat Von D and Jesse James became engaged in January 2011.
July 2011: First Breakup with Jesse James
Kat Von D and Jesse James broke up for the first time in July 2011.
August 2011: Reconciliation with Jesse James
Kat Von D and Jesse James announced they were back together in August 2011.
August 18, 2011: TLC Announces Cancellation of "LA Ink"
On August 18, 2011, TLC announced the cancellation of "LA Ink."
September 15, 2011: "LA Ink" Ends
Kat Von D's show "LA Ink" concluded on September 15, 2011, after four seasons.
September 2011: Final Breakup with Jesse James
Kat Von D announced her second and final breakup with Jesse James in September 2011.
2011: KVD Los Angeles and Kat Von D Los Angeles Clothing Lines Launch
In the fall of 2011, Kat Von D launched two clothing lines: KVD Los Angeles and Kat Von D Los Angeles.
2011: Album Recording Plans
Kat Von D first mentioned plans to record a music album in 2011.
September 2012: Relationship with Deadmau5
Kat Von D began dating Canadian music producer Deadmau5 (Joel Zimmerman) in September 2012.
November 2012: First Breakup with Deadmau5
Kat Von D and Deadmau5 broke up for the first time in November 2012.
December 15, 2012: Engagement to Deadmau5
Deadmau5 proposed to Kat Von D over Twitter, and she accepted on December 15, 2012.
2012: "Rosary Blue" Vocals
Kat Von D provided vocals for the song "Rosary Blue" on the album "X" by the Finnish gothic rock band The 69 Eyes, released in 2012.
2012: New American Beauty Art Tour
Kat Von D's New American Beauty Art Tour, supporting the Art of Elysium charitable organization, took place in 2012.
May 2013: Residence in Outpost Estates
By May 2013, Kat Von D resided in Outpost Estates in the Hollywood Hills.
June 2013: End of Engagement with Deadmau5
Kat Von D and Deadmau5 ended their engagement in June 2013, with Von D alleging infidelity.
August 2013: Collaboration with Dave Grohl and Danny Lohner
In August 2013, Kat Von D revealed that she had collaborated with Dave Grohl and producer Danny Lohner on two tracks for her upcoming album.
June 2016: Kat Von D Beauty Goes Vegan
In June 2016, Kat Von D announced that her entire makeup line would be reformulated to be vegan.
August 2016: Project Chimps Lipstick Release
Kat Von D's makeup line released a limited-edition lipstick named "Project Chimps" in August 2016, with a portion of sales donated to Project Chimps.
2016: Public End to Friendship
Kat Von D publicly ended her friendship with Jeffree Star in 2016, citing concerns about his behavior, including alleged drug use, racial views, bullying, and financial disputes with a mutual friend.
2016: Collaboration with Prayers
Kat Von D collaborated with the electronic music duo Prayers in 2016, recording vocals for their song "Black Leather" and appearing in the music video.
2016: Compassion in Action Award
In recognition of her commitment to animal rights, Kat Von D received Farm Sanctuary's "Compassion in Action Award" in 2016.
February 21, 2018: Marriage to Rafael Reyes
Kat Von D married artist Rafael Reyes on February 21, 2018.
June 2018: Anti-Vaccination Stance
Kat Von D sparked controversy in June 2018 when she announced her intention to not vaccinate her future child.
November 2018: Birth of Son
Kat Von D gave birth to her son in November 2018.
2018: Collaborations and Narration
In 2018, Kat Von D was involved in several projects, including narrating the animal rights documentary "Dominion," making guest appearances on IAMX's album "Alive in New Light," and collaborating with the synthwave band Gunship on the song "Black Blood, Red Kiss".
January 16, 2020: Kat Von D Sells Namesake Beauty Brand
Kat Von D sold her beauty brand to its parent company, Kendo Brands, on January 16, 2020. The brand was renamed "KVD Vegan Beauty."
March 2020: Renounces Anti-Vaccination Stance
In March 2020, Kat Von D publicly renounced her previous anti-vaccination stance, stating that she had been uninformed.
March 2021: KVD Vegan Beauty Rebrands
KVD Vegan Beauty underwent another rebranding on March 2, 2021, becoming "KVD Beauty."
May 2021: "Exorcism" Single Release
Kat Von D released her first single, "Exorcism," from her album "Love Made Me Do It" in May 2021.
October 2021: High Voltage Tattoo Closure Announced
Kat Von D revealed in October 2021 that she would be closing her tattoo shop, High Voltage Tattoo, in December and relocating to Indiana.
February 2022: Kat Von D Begins Removing Tattoos
By February 2022, Kat Von D had started the process of removing many of her tattoos.
March 2022: Move to Indiana
Kat Von D relocated to Vevay, Indiana, in March 2022 and took up residence at the Benjamin Schenck Mansion.
March 2023: Sale of Mansion
Kat Von D sold her Isaac Newton Van Nuys mansion in Windsor Square, Los Angeles, in March 2023.
2023: Baptism
Kat Von D was baptized at the Switzerland Baptist Church in Vevay, Indiana, in 2023.