Bye to the bird app. Controversial entrepreneur Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter has led to many polarizing opinions — and many stars’ departures from the social media platform.
“Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying ‘parody’ will be permanently suspended,” the SpaceX founder — who took over the popular site in late October — wrote via Twitter on Sunday, November 6, to much backlash. “Previously, we issued a warning before suspension, but now that we are rolling out widespread verification, there will be no warning. This will be clearly identified as a condition for signing up to Twitter Blue.”
Twitter Blue, itself a divisive new feature, will charge $7.99 per month to users who want to keep their verified blue check mark.
“Any name change at all will cause temporary loss of verified checkmark,” Musk added.
The drama surrounding the Tesla CEO’s new rollout only increased after comedian Kathy Griffin’s account was suspended on Monday, November 7, after she impersonated the billionaire on the app, changing her name to “Elon Musk.” (Her Twitter handle, @kathygriffin, stayed the same, and she has been tweeting from her late mother’s account — promoting the hashtag #FreeKathy — in response.)
Musk reacted to the star’s ban with a tweet promoting Twitter Blue. “But if she really wants her account back, she can have it for $8,” he stated.
Griffin is far from the only celebrity who has taken issue with the businessman’s handling of the app. After Musk tweeted, “Twitter needs to become by far the most accurate source of information about the world. That’s our mission,” the founder of the app, Jack Dorsey, replied, “Accurate to who?”
Gigi Hadid, for her part, slammed Musk when revealing that she left the app via her Instagram Story on November 5.
“I deactivated my Twitter account today,” she wrote at the time, per a screenshot of her since-expired post. “For a long time, but especially with its new leadership, it’s becoming more and more of a cesspool of hate & bigotry, and it’s not a place I want to be part of.”
The model added: “Only sorry for the fans, who I’ve loved connecting with for over a decade via Twitter, but I can’t say it’s a safe place for anyone, nor a social platform that will do more good than harm.”
Keep scrolling to see the celebs who have left Twitter amid Musk’s takeover: