A free marriage counselor is the only way to get one of Dolly Parton’s wedding officiant tattoos.
Parton, the iconic songstress who married her partner, Jim Morrison, in 1968, recently signed a contract with a New York tattoo artist, who has since been accused of defrauding her out of more than $2 million.
Agency: DollyParton, Inc. | Photographer: Andrew DeMillo | Photographer’s signature: J. J. Kowalski | Photographer | Title: Dollywood, the tattoo parlor with Jim Morrison’s signature on the door (via Getty Images)The tattoo artist’s contract with Dolly, part of the Dolly partons empire, allows him to choose the name and logo of the tattoo artist he chooses, with a maximum of two names and two logos.
The artist can also choose to have one of the tattoos removed, and only one of those can be displayed.
But Parton and her lawyer, John M. Bennett, are demanding that the tattoo shop be shut down and their client and her son, Jim, be allowed to get the tattoos in person.
Parton and Bennett, who were married in May 2014, are not the first to have the word “JIM” tattooed on their foreheads.
The tattoo artist who made a $250,000 contract with Parton for the initials of her husband’s first name, was also found guilty of defaming the singer.
In April, a man, John L. Smith, of New York, was arrested after allegedly selling a replica of Parton-Morrison’s signature to an undercover detective for $100.
Smith pleaded guilty to a felony count of counterfeiting and was sentenced to six months in prison.
In a statement on its website, Dollywood said it had “taken an aggressive stance against the criminal use of the artist’s signature.”
DollyPartons company, Dollypartons Tattoo, said in a statement that it has been in contact with Bennett and that it would cooperate with the investigation.
“We will be working with the local authorities and will cooperate fully with the criminal investigation and prosecution,” the company said.
Dollypartners website says it provides free wedding services for all who choose to be licensed and to provide a variety of services to the community.
It says it offers free counseling to both couples and to the newlyweds.
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