A tattoo fanatic who underwent an exorcism because of her 'demonic' tattoos has turned the tables on her haters.
DeeDee Villegas, from Cebu, Philippines, has spent over £20,000 on following her passion and covering almost her entire body in ink.
Her first was a tribal design that she wasn't actually that bothered about but had done after succumbing to peer pressure.
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However, since then, she has spent over a decade – and 200 hours in the studio – to complete it.
But while she loves her look, in the past she says she has faced criticism from people who just don't understand, and revealed that she was once forced to undergo an exorcism by a priest.
Villegas, who is non-binary but is comfortable with she/her pronouns, recently shared a post to her Instagram account from her graduation.
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She said that while not everyone understands or even accepts her, she will not change for anyone.
"2019. I graduated, Magna Cum Laude..., " wrote Villegas.
"I remember posting my graduation photo three years ago. It went viral and gained both support and negative connotations from people.
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"I had two sets of photoshoot for that lifetime event – one with my tattoos and the other had me wearing makeup to conceal my face tattoos (for yearbook purposes).
"I am thankful to an online friend for editing this photo with my eyeball tattoos. You see, I had all my face and body tattoos in 2019 but not my eyeball inks.
"I deleted my post way back as it came to a point that extremists were attacking my alma matter, my family and my friends."
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She went on: "As I was blessed with an unexpected online platform, I told myself that I should be the voice for 'those who cannot', for 'those who are afraid to’, and for ‘those who don't know how to' MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD.
"I want to remind everybody that life isn't a race, but rather a journey at your own pace.
"Always remember that YOU are in control of your life . Thus, people's effort to throw negativity at you doesn't hold value at all..
"And lastly, don't do things to ‘prove people wrong’… do things for YOU."
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Speaking previously, Villegas said she feels the internet and western influence have led to 'increased acceptance' for people like her in spite of the criticism she receives.
She said: "I would say 60 percent of the comments I receive are positive, however, I do have people quoting Bible verses at me.
"Or negative or nasty comments about me, my parents, siblings, friends etc."
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