Chaos has ensued since Elon Musk took over Twitter the evening of Thursday, Oct. 27, and he began changing the fundamentals of the app, including a proposed plan that would require verified users to keep their blue checks for a fee and a reported increase in hate speech — and these celebrities aren’t having it. Here’s everyone that’s left the app since the new boss took charge.
Ken Olin
The “Thirtysomething” actor and “This Is Us” producer was one of the first to leave the social media platform after tweeting he is “out of here” Oct. 28. Olin concluded his sign off with a message of hope saying, “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.”
Toni Braxton
The R&B star and Grammy winner also decided to leave the app Oct. 28, after declaring Twitter “is no longer a safe space for [herself], [her] sons and other POC.” Braxton also called out Musk for hateful content that has gone uncensored, tweeting, “Hate speech under the veil of ‘free speech’ is unacceptable.”
Shonda Rhimes
The “Grey’s Anatomy” creator signed off of Twitter Saturday morning, Oct. 29, tweeting “Not hanging around for whatever Elon has planned. Bye,” to her 1.9 million followers.
Téa Leoni
The “Madam Secretary” star logged off the app Oct. 29, explaining “the dust has revealed too much hate, too much in the wrong direction.” She added: “Love, kindness, and possibilities for all of you.”
Sara Bareilles
Bareilles joined the mass exodus Oct. 29, tweeting, “Sorry, this one’s just not for me,” while assuring followers that she’ll see them on other social media platforms.
Brian Koppelman
The “Billions” showrunner also tweeted he needed to “take a breather,” from Twitter before ultimately making his profile private. “Come find me over on instagram and the tok,” Koppelman tweeted according to NBC News.
Alex Winter
Winter, an actor best known for his role on “Bill & Ted,” locked his account and it has since been deactivated. “Elon Musk taking over Twitter and making it a private company with less oversight has immediately made the platform more prone to hate speech, targeted attacks, and the spread of disinformation,” Winter told NBC News, adding that many users would return if the company went public again.
Mick Foley
The retired wrestler and actor announced his hiatus from the platform in a Facebook post Oct. 28. “I decided I needed a @twitter break, since the new ownership – and the misinformation and hate it seems to be encouraging – has my stomach in a knot,” he wrote, adding that he would likely be back on the app in a few weeks.
Ellen Pompeo
The “Grey’s Anatomy” star is on the same page as Rhimes after leaving the platform without a formal announcement, leaving only a deactivated account.
David Dastmalchian
“The Dark Knight” made a similar swift exit by deactivating his account in the days after Musk took over.
Gigi Hadid
The supermodel called it quits Saturday, Nov. 5 after announcing on her Instagram story that she deactivated her Twitter account. “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, “and it’s not a place I want to be a part of.”
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is joining in on the celebrity exodus from Twitter in the wake of Elon Musk’s takeover. The host of “The View” announced the news during the Nov. 7 show. “I’m gettin’ off,” Whoopi said. “I’m gettin’ off today, because I just feel like, you know, it’s so messy and I’m tired of now having had certain kinds of attitudes blocked, and now they’re back on. I just, I’m gonna get out, and if it settles down and I feel more comfortable, maybe I’ll come back. But, as of tonight, I’m done with Twitter.”
Laura Benanti
The “Younger” actress signed off Nov. 7 with some choice words for the new Twitter boss. “F— you forever @ElonMusk,” she tweeted, “deleting my account today.” Despite leaving Twitter a day before the midterm elections she attached a photo of a blue button saying “Roe Roe Roe Your Vote.”
John Green
“The Fault in Our Stars” author announced his departure Dec. 11 after pointing to how Musk is “sowing division and misinformation. “This just isn’t the conversation for me anymore,” Green tweeted.
Jameela Jamil
Though “The Good Place” actress tweeted she would exit the platform when word of Musk’s plan to acquire the app first circulated in April, Jamil has not yet said whether she will leave now that the new boss has taken over. “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. “So it’s win win for you all really.”
Bonus: Rob Reiner
The producer, known for voicing his left-leaning beliefs, has veered from the path by encouraging users to stay on Twitter to engage in “constitutional democracy.” “For those who are fighting to preserve our Constitutional Democracy, now is not the time to leave Twitter,” Reiner tweeted Friday, Oct. 28. “Now is the time to VOTE BLUE!”
