Chad Michael Murray Explains His Cross Tattoo—and It’s a Plot Twist Worthy of One Tree Hill

Buy Me A Coffee

Chad Michael Murray, aka every millennial’s early 2000s TV crush, just spilled the beans on the heartfelt (and slightly existential) story behind the cross tattoo on his wrist. This wasn’t just a “hey, I want to look cool” moment—it’s got layers, people. Like, Shrek-level layers.

The 43-year-old star of One Tree Hill (and countless swoon-worthy teenage fantasies) stopped by The Drew Barrymore Show to talk tattoos, life transformations, and, apparently, therapy sessions worthy of their own soap opera spinoff.

The Birthday Revelation
Picture it: Chad, age 25, wakes up in Wilmington, North Carolina—probably surrounded by the ghosts of One Tree Hill scenes past—and has a major epiphany. “I didn’t feel good,” he said, channeling big midlife-crisis-before-it’s-midlife energy. “I was like, I don’t really like the guy that I am.”

See also  Kylie Jenner Says She's Never Had Surgery on Her Face

Ouch. Self-drag alert!

But Chad wasn’t about to sit around moping. Nope, this man decided to make a bold move—because when you’re a 25-year-old brooding heartthrob, the solution to an existential crisis is obvious: permanent ink.

Step One: Tattoo Therapy
“So, I made a decision,” Chad explained. “I went and got a tattoo.” That’s right, step one in his grand self-reinvention plan was less “self-help book” and more “let’s stab my skin with a needle.” The result? A cross.

Now, before you go thinking this was some spur-of-the-moment decision, Chad insists it was symbolic. “It’s the idea of it can be what you make it,” he said, adding just the right dash of mysterious philosophy. Is the tattoo a metaphor? A vibe? A magical life coach? Who knows!

See also  Adam Devine Jokes About Losing Weight: Marvel, Call Him Already!

The Wisdom of Older Friends
After the ink dried, Chad didn’t stop there. He decided to level up his friend group, saying goodbye to immature shenanigans and hello to the kind of people who probably use words like “stoic” and “life lessons.”

“I started surrounding myself with older people who I respected,” he said, casually hinting that he ditched the party crowd for the Yoda squad. “Seeing their jovial spirits bounce around” helped him make “a lot of different decisions.” Translation? Chad traded keg stands for profound conversations about life, love, and whatever wise people talk about over herbal tea.

See also  'The Merry Gentlemen' Trailer Has Chad Michael Murray Resorting To Stripping In Order To Save A Small Town Bar

The Ultimate Glow-Up Plan
But the real kicker in Chad’s journey? He did it all for love. Future love, to be exact. “Every time I’d go to therapy or make hard decisions,” he shared, “I’d say, just remember you’re doing this for your future wife and kids.”

Somewhere out there, Chad’s therapist is probably slow-clapping, while the rest of us are just swooning.

A tattoo, a spiritual awakening, and a journey toward being the kind of guy who’d make Mr. Rogers proud. If One Tree Hill ever needs a reboot, they might want to call it One Cross Tattoo.

Watch the interview below—if your heart can handle it.

Comments area

Sidebar

Must Read

Tom Brady Shares Rare Photos Of His Son Jack On His 17th Birthday

Tom Brady threw a birthday bash for his oldest...

Timothee Chalamet Rocks a Beaded Tank Top at ‘Wonka’ Premiere in France

Timothee Chalamet strutted his stuff at the dazzling premiere...

Megan Thee Stallion Unveils The Tracklist For Her Album ‘Megan: Act II’

Megan Thee Stallion is about to drop some serious...

‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Trailer

Get ready to bend over with laughter because Netflix...

Heidi Klum Makes Her Paris Fashion Week Debut On The Vetements Runway

Heidi Klum just sashayed down the runway for the...

You Might Also Like

Austin Butler Talks About Starring In ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean’ Reboot

Get ready for a swashbuckling saga involving none other...

Gyspy Rose Blanchard Speaks On Hulu’s ‘The Act’

Gypsy Rose Blanchard is spilling the beans on that...

Paris Hilton Welcomes Second Child With Carter Reum

Hold onto your sunglasses, because Paris Hilton just dropped...

Lil Wayne Announces Las Vegas Residency

Lil Wayne is about to turn Sin City into...

Madonna Brings Santa Claus Onstage During ‘Celebration Tour’ in DC

Madonna took a break from perfecting her holiday voguing...

Kesha Discusses Updated ‘TikTok’ Lyrics That Take A Jab At Diddy

Get ready to chuckle because Kesha just pulled off...

Taylor Swift Donates $5 Million For Hurricane Milton Relief

Taylor Swift, queen of pop, heartstrings, and now, natural...