Halle Berry Finally Explains Her Huge Back Tattoo

Update: It's been more than two months since Halle Berry sent the internet into a frenzy with an Instagram post showing a massive back tattoo snaking down her spine. Now, Berry is finally revealing the truth behind the ink, which many fans presumed to be real.

The actress confessed to The Late Late Show host James Corden that she's testing out fake tattoos for an upcoming role — and this was one of them. "I am trying out different tattoos to see what will fit best for my character," she said. "I'm discovering how long they will last, how much wear I would get out of one, so I know how much it's all going to cost."

Berry also warns the audience that there could be more fake-outs to come. "You'll see me in the months ahead in many different tattoos," she said. We don't know if we're more excited to see what project these fake tattoos are leading to, or if any of them will inspire her to get a real one.

For years, dainty, delicate tattoos were the celebrity obsession, with things like stars, hearts, and butterflies dotting their wrists, forearms, and ankles like freckles. But now, a much more dramatic tattoo trend is on the rise.

First, there was Lady Gaga with that rose tattoo that spanned from the middle of her neck straight down her spine. Now, we have Halle Berry posting an Instagram to show off yet another massive back tattoo. And this time, it's a vine (or maybe it's seaweed) that goes straight down her spine. "Who says I’m not a mermaid," she wrote on Instagram, giving us no hints to who did the ink or if it's even real.

For now, the origins of the tattoo are a mystery, since Berry didn't tag a particular tattoo artist. Given the dramatic nature of the picture — which has Berry posing as if she's cooking topless (we wouldn't recommend!) — it may very well be a fun, temporary tat. Though, we do know that Berry has at least one other tattoo: a sunflower on her butt covering her ex-husband's name.

Looking at her upcoming movie roles, which include a MMA fighter in Bruised and a lawyer in Jagged Edge, neither would necessarily call for a fake tattoo. So we're leaning towards the theory that Berry has just been feeling particularly daring, and this spinal tattoo is proof.