Katherine von Drachenberg was born in 1982 in Montemorelos, Nuevo León, Mexico. Her parents, René and Sylvia (nee' Galeano) were Seventh-day Adventist missionaries who were born in Argentina.
In 1986, her family moved to California, where she grew up. She began listening to punk rock bands at the age of 12. She got her first tattoo at 14 and quit school at 16 to become a tattoo artist.
Known as Kat Von D, she is best known for her work as a tattoo artist in Hollywood on the reality television shows Miami Ink and LA Ink. She is also a fashion mogul with her own makeup line—a macabre Californian entrepreneur who became well known for her pagan artistic expressions.
Von D is the creator of the MusInk Tattoo Convention and Music Festival, which began in 2008. Musink is an all ages tattoo, music, and art festival located in Southern California.
Some Milestones
In 2007 she quit drinking, realizing that it was destroying her life.
“Getting sober was not easy for me,” she said on Instagram in 2019. “Even though it’s gonna be 12 years in July that I celebrate being clean from drinking and drugs, I still clearly remember the physical pain from withdrawals, the profound desire to die, and the overwhelming sense of loneliness I felt that day I decided to quit.”
She had been a vegetarian for many years, no doubt influenced by her Seventh-day Adventist upbringing, and in 2011 she became a vegan.
In 2018 she married Rafael Reyes. Nine months later their first child was born (a son).
In December 2020 the former TV star left High Voltage Tattoo parlor in LA, announcing she had bought a home in Indiana. She cited California's taxes, “terrible policies,” and “tyrannical government” as reasons. She was criticized by people who believe mask mandates and COVID-19 vax mandates are a good thing.
She also began to regret the tattoos on her arms and covered them up with black ink.
In 2021 she closed her "beloved" High Voltage Tattoo shop, which was featured in the TLC reality show LA Ink.
In 2021, Von D endorsed recalling Governor Gavin Newsom in that year's recall election.
In 2022, she got rid of all her books on the occult, magic and witchcraft.
Two weeks ago, Von D was baptized at the Switzerland Baptist Church in Vevay, Indiana, more than a year after renouncing witchcraft and the macabre.
As inked-up friends of the artist are seen in attendance, Ms. Von D sings before the ceremony, and then a pastor is heard: "I baptize you, my sister, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." He dips her head and white-robed body—tattoos fully concealed—into the pool. She rises and immediately they embrace.
For the most part, according to Von D, she and her family experienced an "overwhelmingly beautiful amount" of positivity from fans and Indiana locals.
"It was an overwhelmingly beautiful amount of just positivity and just love," she said. "Me and my husband and my son, we'd go out to go get lunch throughout the week, and people would just come out of nowhere just wanting to give me a hug and congratulate me and welcome me to the family."
She also said that some Christians said she was not an authentic Christian because she wears black, styles her hair a certain way, and has tattoos. "One of the comments that I would see repeatedly was people saying that I was faking it," she said. She said it was hurtful, but she is learning to overlook it.
She indicated an openness to sharing her testimony with podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey in the future. At the same time, she confessed "I just like don't really feel equipped to be the poster child for … Christianity."
"I think that I'm still learning, and as I do, I will become more equipped.
Drachenberg's embrace of Christianity comes a year after she renounced the occult and witchcraft in search of truth.
Observations
Our children are growing up in a different world than we did. Be patient with them, and continue loving them no matter if you disapprove of their lifestyle and decisions.
Truth and truth seekers usually find each other.
If you have children who are alienated from God, don’t give up on them. Keep praying for them.
We have to get rid of bad things in our life in order to make room for good things.
Love for Jesus and an humble relationship with Him helps us to be charitable with others, and intolerant of evil (Romans 16:19; Ephesians 5:11).
Repentance is vital (Acts 19:19; 3:19, 26:20; Proverbs 4:24; Ecclesiastes 11:10; Isaiah 1:16; 1 Corinthians 13:11; 1 Peter 3:11).
People like this need encouragement. Praise God for a brand plucked from the burning (Zechariah 3:1-2).
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“I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7).
