All the celebrities quitting Twitter following Elon Musk's takeover
"Ain’t what I signed up for"
Elon Musk has officially taken over Twitter. But not everyone is happy about it.
"The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilisation to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence," Musk tweeted on Thursday, explaining what he plans to do now that he's in control of the platform. "There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far right wing and far left wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society."
Yet, despite Musk's vision, the spread of hate has risen on the platform. In fact, use of the N-word on Twitter increased by almost 500% in a 12-hour period following Musk’s closing on the $44 billion acquisition, according to the Network Contagion Research Institute, which tracks "cyber-social threats".
And that's not all that's changed. Rumours about the platform's future also suggest that you'll soon be able to buy a blue tick. According to reports, Musk is considering charging users a monthly fee for verification on the app, and the Tesla founder himself took to Twitter to tell users: "The whole verification process is being revamped right now".
These are just some of the reasons why scores of celebrities have already confirmed their departure from Twitter. From Jameela Jamil to Josh Gad, these are all the celebrities who've quit Twitter (so far) following Musk's takeover...
Celebs who've quit Twitter - Gigi Hadid
Supermodel Gigi Hadid has officially left Twitter, telling her fans on Instagram the exact reason why.
"For a long time, but especially with its new leadership, it’s becoming more and more of a cesspool of hate and bigotry," she wrote on her Instagram Story of her decision to quit Twitter . "It's not a place I want to be a part of."
Hadid went on to claim that Twitter is not a "safe place for anyone".
Celebs who've quit Twitter - Amber Heard
Amber Heard's Twitter account disappeared on Thursday 3 November, prompting fans to question whether she had deleted her profile. A screen on the @realamberheard page now reads: "This account doesn't exist."
The disappearance of the actor's profile comes just days after Musk – who she dated after her split from Johnny Depp – took over as CEO of Twitter.
Celebs who've quit Twitter - Shonda Rhimes
TV writer and producer Shonda Rhimes – who has worked on the likes of Inventing Anna and How To Get Away With Murder – took to Twitter on Saturday 29 October to tell her followers that she was out after Musk's takeover.
"Not hanging around for whatever Elon has planned. Bye." she tweeted.
Celebs who've quit Twitter - Ken Olin
Thirtysomething star and This Is Us director Ken Olin also called time on Twitter after Musk's takeover, telling his fans: "I’m out of here. No judgement."
Olin went on, "Let’s keep the faith. Let’s protect our democracy. Let’s try to be kinder. Let’s try to save the planet. Let’s try to be more generous. Let’s look to find peace in the world."
Celebs who've quit Twitter - Sara Bareilles
Another celebrity who didn't stick around on Twitter after Elon Musk's takeover is singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles.
"Welp. It’s been fun Twitter. I’m out," the Grammy award-winning artist wrote on Sunday morning. "See you on other platforms, peeps. Sorry, this one’s just not for me."
Celebs who've quit Twitter - Jameela Jamil
Actor, TV presenter and activist Jameela Jamil left Twitter in April when Musk began discussing his plans to takeover. "One good thing about Elon buying twitter is that I will *FINALLY* leave and stop being a complete menace to society on here," she tweeted at the time.
In July she returned to the app after the businessman reportedly pulled out of the deal, but now that the takeover is complete, it's possible that she too will leave Twitter (again).
Celebs who've quit Twitter - Josh Gad
Although Josh Gad hasn't quit Twitter just yet, he took to the platform over the weekend to let fans know he is seriously considering it.
"Large exodus happening on this platform. Not sure if I stay or not," the Beauty and the Beast star tweeted. "Leaning toward staying, but if today is a sign of things to come, not sure what the point is. Freedom of speech is great. Hate speech intended to incite harm, (with no consequences) ain’t what I signed up for."
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