Model Luna Winter, who posts on Instagram as @milkiwifey, has revealed that three devoted fans have taken their admiration to the extreme by getting permanent tattoos dedicated to her. The content creator, who lives near Berlin, Germany, said she was shocked when she learned about the tributes, which include a large portrait of her face tattooed across one fan's back.
Fans' extreme tributes
Luna, who has 700,000 Instagram followers, said: "So far there are three that I know of. Two of them are just my name, and the third one is an actual portrait of me. I was completely shocked when they told me."
She added: "The two with my name are one thing, but this one was my face, right across his back. And the size of it just blew me away. I didn't know anything about it beforehand because he wanted it to be a surprise."
The fan unveiled the finished work by sending her a video and photograph on her birthday. Luna said the pair had developed a close connection after she helped him through a difficult period in his life.
Gratitude and connection
She said: "He told me I'm the most beautiful woman he's ever had the chance to get to know. But it wasn't only about that. For him, my face also stands for the connection we have. We were in close contact, and I helped him through a really difficult time in his life."
"I supported him and had a positive influence on him when he needed it, so I have a special place in his life. The tattoo was his way of showing his gratitude and giving something back."
The other two fans have Luna's name tattooed on their arms. While flattered, Luna admitted she actually advised the fans against getting the tattoos.
She said: "I feel really honoured that they took this step, but I would never have expected it from them. All three of them did it completely voluntarily, without me influencing them in any way."
"If anything, I actually advised them against it, because I think it's a very extreme step. But of course, everyone is free to do whatever they want with their own body. I'm flattered and I take it as a huge compliment. Still, it feels completely crazy to me whenever I think about it."
From shy nerd to successful model
The permanent tributes are a world away from Luna's childhood, when she struggled with confidence and had few friends. A huge anime fan, she said there was nobody with similar interests, leaving her feeling isolated at school.
Luna said: "I was really shy and not very confident. I didn't have many friends at school because I was the nerdy girl who loved watching anime, and there was nobody around me who shared that passion. If you asked people from my old school, they'd probably remember me as the quiet, nerdy girl who was always into anime. I definitely was not one of the popular kids."
After leaving school, Luna started a retail apprenticeship on around 1,000 euros a month. She said: "My family never had much money when I was a child. I grew up in an environment where money was always a struggle, and that's exactly why it was so important to me to find something I could really succeed at. I wanted to break that cycle for my family."
Luna began earning small amounts through cosplay before her online career took off, and by 2020 was making thousands through content creation. She now says she can financially support her family, including getting her mum a new car.
