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

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  Eva Mendes Says She Felt "Lost" After Having Her Two Kids

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  Chad Michael Murray Engages In A Striptease In Preview Of Netflix's 'The Merry Gentlemen'

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  Machine Gun Kelly Flaunts His Fully Tattooed Arms At The People's Choice Country Awards

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

Must Read

Prince Harry Spotted Filming Upcoming Netflix Polo Show In Palm Beach

Prince Harry: Hollywood's Hottest Polo Player! Move over, Hollywood heartthrobs,...

Brit Smith Releases ‘Karma’s A B****’ After Jojo Siwa’s ‘Karma’ Video

Guess what’s making a comeback from the musical vault?...

Trevor Noah to Host the 2024 Grammy Awards

Trevor Noah just dropped a bombshell of hilarity! In the...

Channing Tatum Was Posting About Zoe Kravitz Shortly Before News Of Their Breakup Surfaced

Picture this: you’re Channing Tatum, you’ve just posted about...

Krabby Patties From ‘Spongebob Squarepants’ To Be Served At Hundreds Of Restaurants

As part of SpongeBob SquarePants' 25th birthday bash (cue...

Travis Kelce And Brother Jason Kelce’s ‘New Heights’ Podcast Goes On Hiatus

Oh, dear fans of the Kelce brothers, brace yourselves...

Diddy Has Deleted All His Instagram Posts Including Cassie Apology Video

Sean Diddy Combs has gone full ninja on his...

Fantasia Barrino For ELLE Magazine, Talks ‘The Color Purple’ Movie

Get ready to witness Fantasia's triumphant return to the...

Taylor Swift Referenced Ex Matty Healy During Her Eras Tour Stop In Paris

In a whirlwind of poetic justice and quirky choreography,...

You Might Also Like

Lil Nas X Poses In His Underwear On Social Media

Lil Nas X is back at it again, setting...

Amanda Bynes Reveals She’s Had Plastic Surgery

Guess what? Amanda Bynes just spilled the beans on...

Kevin Hart Talks to WSJ Magazine About Getting Booted From the Oscars Among Other Things

Kevin Hart, pint-sized powerhouse of comedy, is serving up...

Madonna Shares DJ Mix Made By Her 12-Year-Old Daughter Estere

Madonna's daughter, Estere, is here to rock your socks...

Jelly Roll Regrets Getting A Very Specific Tattoo On His Body

Jelly Roll, the 39-year-old country crooner, just spilled the...

Camila Cabello Talks About The Drake And Kendrick Lamar Feud

Camila Cabello, the former Fifth Harmony songstress, has dished...

Harry Styles Releases Statement About Liam Payne’s Death

In some news nobody was emotionally prepared for, Harry...

New Dubai Video Featuring Kanye West and Bianca Censori Goes Viral Amidst News of Split

Kanye West and his "wifey" Bianca Censori were caught...