EXCLUSIVE: Miami Ink's Ami James says he NEVER had a friendship with Kat Von D and responds to her alleged anti-Semitic comments aimed at him

• e-mail

Ami James rose to stardom in 2005 when he was cast for one of the first reality shows on the TLC network, Miami Ink. 

The tattoo artist, who is Jewish and served in the Israeli military, starred alongside Kat Von D, who became a prominent beauty vlogger in the years following and created her own very successful self-titled cosmetics company, which has now been sold.

However, Kat, who has nine million followers on Instagram, has been the centre of many controversies and left the show after three seasons to do her own spin-off in Los Angeles called LA Ink.

It was alleged at the time that Kat made anti-Semitic comments about Ami, and TMZ obtained a headshot that Kat had allegedly signed and written, 'Burn in hell Jewbag', along with a handdrawn swastika and a flaming Star of David. 

TMZ reported that TLC went to a handwriting analysis who concluded that there was a ninety-nine percent probability that it was Kat who wrote these comments on her headshot, however, she vehemently denied the allegations.

Ami James (pictured) starred on Miami Ink alongside Kat Von D, where it was alleged that she made anti-Semitic comments about him

Kat Von D (pictured), appeared to be suddenly fired from the tattoo parlour on Miami Ink

Because it couldn't one hundred percent be proved it was Kat, no further action was taken by TLC and a month later, her spin-off show LA Ink aired.

Asked by Daily Mail Australia if it's true that Kat made anti-Semitic comments about him, Ami said: 'Many people do [make anti-Semitic comments], just leave it at that.'

However, the tattoo artist said that he and Kat 'never really had a friendship.' 

He added: 'She was brought in through production and we never really had anything past that and moving forward is just, whatever happens, stays there.'

The 50-year-old spoke to Daily Mail Australia at the Australian Tattoo Expo - which runs from March 10-12 - at Sydney's International Convention Centre (ICC). 

He said he always loved drawing and got his first tattoo in his young teens, and by the early 90s, when Ami would've been in his early 20s, he was almost fully tattooed. 

At this time in the world, tattoos were still extremely stigmatised - and the former reality TV star said it's through things like conventions and social media that they have become more normal, and people have broadened their minds. 

'I've been detained so many times because of tattoos,' he said. 

'If you travelled showing tattoos, you were pushed into a genre, whether you're a convict, a gang member... you did not want to be walking around through an airport going through immigration with a neck tattoo.

'And even my hands, I would literally put Band-Aids on my fingers because they would just look at me and be like, "come with us to the back room.'"

Asked by Daily Mail Australia if it's true that Kat made anti-Semitic comments about him, Ami said: 'Many people do [make anti-Semitic comments], just leave it at that'

The tattoo artist met fans and artists at the Australian Tattoo Expo - which runs from March 10-12 - at Sydney's International Convention Centre (ICC) 

This was in the early 90s, so Ami said he can't imagine what it would've been like for tattooed people in the 80s. 

'When I got my neck tattooed, it was probably the most regrettable thing I've done, even though I loved the neck tattoo at the time, cause oh my god, you get pulled over in your car,' he explained.

'And it was like, the neck side of the window, but it kind of just became easier and easier. And you just forget that you have your neck tattooed now, like now, people's faces are tattooed. 

'So the assumption was just you're a gang member, or they would just automatically jump to you are either a gang member that belongs to a fight club or belongs to some street gangs, or whatever it was, you were not invited to countries looking like that.

'And I've talked to old timers who had to deal with it over the years. 

'But, you know, I felt it first-hand, and it kind of sucked. And now you see everybody, like I walk into the immigration and the f**king guy wants to get tattooed by me.'  

For Ami - who owns four parlours in New York, Miami, London and Cork, Ireland - becoming a tattoo artist kept him out of the wrong side of the law. 

His brothers friend gave him the first step to starting his dream by letting him live in his house, and by also gifting him his first tattoo gun. 

Sadly, he died by suicide just a year later. 

'Yeah, I got into trouble, and then when I got out of trouble my brother kicked me out of the house, so I went to stay with his best friend,' he said. 

'And for my birthday, they had bought me a tattoo machine. And it was exactly 31 years ago.

'I did my first tattoo then when I was 18 and I was in service. I was getting tattooed by an artist that became a friend of mine and one day, he walked out and left the tattoo machine.

'So while he was arguing with his girlfriend outside I just picked up the tattoo machine and put a glove on and just started tattooing myself. 

'And at that point, I knew that that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. But I still had two and a half years left in the army.'

After flying back to the US after his time in the Israeli army, Ami wanted to get into tattooing, but he found himself a bit lost.  

For Ami - who owns four parlours in New York, Miami, London and Cork, Ireland - becoming a tattoo artist kept him out of the wrong side of the law

Artists showcased their work and offered flash pieces for attendees throughout the weekend

Ami said his favourite part of the Expo is meeting the artists and people who love tattoos

'Through that search kind of being lost and getting in trouble and not finding something good, eventually somebody lent a hand. 

'I was really lucky to have my brother's friend there, but he ended up hanging himself a year later. 

'It was like through the hard times there's a little light at the end of the tunnel. And that was it. 

'And, and as soon as they gave me that machine, I knew that that was everything that I wanted to do.'