The Golden Bachelor star Gerry Turner has a prominent tattoo on his right bicep, as first revealed during his steamy hot tub date with Leslie Fhima on the fourth episode of the competition series. Fans are naturally curious about the meaning behind the large lion ink.

Does The Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Have a Tattoo?

Yes! The restaurant professional has a large lion tattooed on his bicep. It came as a surprise to fans, but why can’t a retiree have some ink?

What Does Gerry Turner’s Lion Tattoo ​Mean?

Gerry addressed his inked arm right off the bat during his November 6, 2023 appearance on Live With Kelly and Mark.

Gerry Turner’s Tattoo: The Golden Bachelor's Lion Ink Meaning
Disney/John Fleenor

“There was a point in time where I was thinking about taking on more responsibility in business and so forth,” ​Gerry explained to hosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos. “There’s this saying about every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up [and] it must run faster than the slowest gazelle or a gazelle wakes up and it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be eaten. … It doesn’t matter if you’re a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up, you better be running.”

He continued about the ink, “And so that was something that I really believed in at the time, and when I saw that poster I thought, ‘That’s the perfect tattoo.’”

In a ​separate interview with USA Today, the reality star called the tattoo “a reflection of my lifestyle at the time,” adding, “That was my philosophy.”

“It’s not really a glamorous story,” Gerry ​further admitted to Bustle. On whether the tattoo was painful, ​he told USA Today that the process hurt “just a little bit.”

When Did Gerry Turner Get His Tattoo?

The ink is not fresh, ​Gerry told USA Today. The tattoo, which Gerry told the outlet he got done in his mid-50s, served as a midlife reminder to himself to “keep going, keep pushing.”

What Do Fans Think of Gerry’s Tattoo?

While some fans expressed their admiration for the tattoo’s aesthetic, calling the ink “badass,” others wondered if it might symbolize Gerry’s Zodiac sign (he is, in fact, a Leo.)

One viewer even drew a comparison between Gerry’s lion and Ben Affleck’s phoenix tattoo.

“Some men’s inner spirits are so strong that they actually leak out onto the skin for the world to see,” the user humorously wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Does Gerry Turner Have Other Tattoos?

Gerry does not appear to have other tattoos. Eagle-eyed fans haven’t noticed any more on the bachelor’s body, and he hasn’t mentioned being inked anywhere else.