Ben Affleck has received his fair share of internet trolling Monday after photos of his most recent beach vacation went viral, revealing a massive back tattoo in a blinding array of colors.

Next time you’re feeling sad, remember that you’re not Ben Affleck so you (probably) don’t have a tattoo so big and so ugly and so universally ridiculed that you had to lie and say it was only temporary and just for a movie when it is so clearly not. (https://t.co/MQJfdA25tk) pic.twitter.com/sU72CUK4TG

— Crystal Methanny (@RafiDAngelo) March 18, 2018

For over three years, Affleck has insisted the tattoo is fake. He generally stuck to the same story, saying it was “fake for a movie.” But — while many waited with bated breath — we never got to see a movie that involved a gigantic rainbow dragon on Affleck’s back. It never came.

But as his divorce from Jennifer Garner got messier and Affleck began to publicly air his political stances, the back tat rumors calmed down for the time being.

Until now.

That’s because Affleck was recently photographed on a beach in Honolulu this weekend. And the not-so-fake back tattoo was there on full display. Three years later.

When your tattoo is so bad that you have to LIE about it and pretend it’s fake!! In the wise words of Jennifer Garner ‘Bless his heart’. #BenAffleck pic.twitter.com/9LESsJMPIK

— Colette Fahy (@colettefahy_) March 19, 2018

Check out that ink.

Ben Affleck: The phoenix tattoo is fake for a movie.

Also Ben Affleck: pic.twitter.com/k97oa0ld12

— Sarah (@Cinesnark) March 16, 2018

It turns out, the tattoo is very much real. And by the looks of it, it looks like he’s got a big ol’ phoenix, could be a dragon, rising from some rainbow ashes.

So two things are possible here. Either the tattoo has been real all along or — the more likely explanation — he loved the fake tattoo so much that he committed to getting a real one.

There’s been a lot of hate directed at Affleck recently. Maybe he wanted to spice things up a little. Send the public a message. And he’s trying to get Jennifer Garner a little jealous. Unfortunately for him, she’s on record saying she hates the thing.

So for now, Ben Affleck doesn’t need the internet hate. He doesn’t need the trolls. He doesn’t need an entire Twitter account dubbed @BenAfflecksTatt ‏devoted entirely to his new ink. He needs us now more than ever. He needs us to rally around him and give him the respect that both he and that dragon deserve. Enough.

Follow Jena on Twitter.