All the Celebrities Who’ve Quit Twitter Because of Elon Musk

Elon Musk had some pointed words for Trent Reznor after the rocker decided to leave the app.“And it turns out that Trent ‘nine inch nails’ Reznor is actually a crybaby 🤣,” tweeted Musk about Reznor’s decision to leave Twitter.Reznor had shared in a Nov. 19 The Hollywood Reporter interview that he was “about to depart” from the app.“We don’t need the arrogance of the billionaire class to feel like they can just come in and solve everything. Even without him involved, I just find that it has become such a toxic environment,” he said. “For my mental health, I need to tune out. I don’t feel good being there anymore.”

As soon as Musk’s acquisition of Twittter was finalized, Shonda Rhimes quit Twitter.“Not hanging around for whatever Elon has planned,” she wrote. “Bye.”The Grey’s Anatomy creator’s account still exists, but Rhimes has not tweeted or liked any tweets since Oct. 29.Other show creators like Billions showrunner Brian Koppelman and This Is Us executive producer Ken Olin have also left the app.

Gigi Hadid was done with the “cesspool of hate” on the bird app.“I deactivated my Twitter account today,” the model wrote on her Instagram Stories on Nov. 7. “For a long time, but especially with its new leadership, it’s becoming more and more of a cesspool of hate & bigotry, and its not a place I want to be a part of.”Hadid’s announcement came with a screenshot from a former member of Twitter’s human rights team, sharing that she had been laid off by Musk.“Only sorry to the fans, who I’ve loved connecting with for a decade via Twitter, but I can’t say it’s a safe space for anyone, nor a social platform that will do more good than harm,” she wrote.

Toni Braxton never hit the “deactivate” button but has been absent from Twitter, ever since announcing she was leaving on Oct. 28.“I’m shocked and appalled at some of the ‘free speech’ I’ve seen on this platform since its acquisition,” Braxton tweeted. “Hate speech under the veil of ‘free speech’ is unacceptable; therefore I am choosing to stay off Twitter as it is no longer a safe space for myself, my sons, and other POC.”

A day after Braxton announced her departure, Sara Bareilles announced she was leaving, too.“Welp. It’s been fun Twitter. I’m out,” she tweeted. “See you on other platforms, peeps. Sorry, this one’s just not for me. ❤️🙏🏼”Bareilles’ account continues to be exist on the app, but she has not liked or tweeted since Oct. 29.

It took Donald Trump getting reinstated for Jack White to say goodbye to the bird app. On Nov. 20, the musician shared a lengthy note to Elon Musk on Instagram explaining his decision to leave.“So you gave Trump his Twitter platform back. Absolutely disgusting, Elon,” he wrote. “That is officially an asshole move.”“You intend to give platforms to known liars and wash your hands like pontius pilate and claim no responsibility?” he later added. “Trump was removed from Twitter because he incited violence multiple times, people died and were injured as a result of his lies and his ego, (let alone what his coup did to attempt to destroy democracy and our Capitol).”Musk reinstated Trump’s account after more than15 million people allegedly voted in a Twitter poll, with 51.8 percent suggesting that the former president’s account should be reinstated. “Vox Populi, Vox Dei,” Musk wrote about his decision.

Jameela Jamil foreshadowed that Twitter would become “a lawaless space of bigotry, misogyny, and xenophobia” months ago — and that she’d log off because of that.Back in April, when it was announced that Elon Musk would take over the platform, Jamil said she’d leave. And she stayed true to her word.“One good thing about Elon buying twitter is that I will FINALLY leave and stop being a complete menace to society on here,” Jamil tweeted on April 25. “So it’s win-win for you all really. 😂”Jamil has not tweeted since Oct. 27 and liked her last tweet on Nov. 9.

Comic book artist Erik Larsen — who has created the likes of Savage Dragon and written for Ant — stayed true to his word about leaving the app were Elon Musk to purchase it.“Yeah, I left. I said I would leave if Musk bought Twitter. Musk bought Twitter,” he said in an email to NBC News. “So, I had no choice. The move only emboldened those most toxic users. The racists, ‘patriots’ and creeps are back in full force.”“I have no regrets,” he added.

Madam Secretary said goodbye to the bird app. On Oct. 30, the CBS political drama actress said she’d be leaving. She deactivated her account shortly after.“Hi everyone. I’m coming off Twitter today — let’s see where we are when the dust settles,” she tweeted, per NBC News. “Today the dust has revealed too much hate, too much in the wrong direction. Love, kindness, and possibilities for all of you.”

Liz Phair peaced-out on the Twitter platform on Nov. 11. The singer, who tweeted as @PhizLair, has deactivated her account.Her last tweet read (via Business Insider): “And the band played on… for not much longer. I’m feeling the deck quaking, so I will add my thanks to each and every one of you for the laughs, the learning, the love, the connection and the inspiration. A wonderful experience overall. Timing tbd.”

Alex Winter, aka as Bill from the Bill & Ted franchise, fled Twitter sometime after Elon Musk’s takeover. “Not here” reads his bio on the site and it provides a link to Semiphemeral, “an antifascist service” that allows users to delete old tweets, while also preventing fascists from using the free privacy service. “Semiphemeral keeps track of Twitter accounts used by prominent racists, misogynists, antisemites, homophobes, neo-Nazis, and other fascists,” according to the service. Anyone who has liked tweets from the aforementioned will be blocked by the service. “Everyone deserves privacy on social media, but not everyone is entitled to get that privacy by using this free service,” it adds.Those missing Winter’s posts can find the actor and filmmaker on Instagram. “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. “If Twitter returns to being a public company run by rational actors, many of us will return.”

David Simon — the creator of HBO’s The Wire and Treme whose We Own This City miniseries on policing in America debuted earlier this year — announced his departure from the bird app on Nov. 9, with a series of tweets that included “Fuck Trump” and and “Fuck Elon Musk” goodbye posts. “Not for eight dollars or eight cents. No more free content for a platform that, while already vulnerable, is being tailored for organized disinformation and anti-Semitic/racist provocation,” the journalist-turned-producer wrote. “To stay is unethical. Fuck Elon Musk; the technobrat can choke on his new toy.”On Nov. 14, he pinned his last parting shot: “It’s been real, mooks,” he wrote with a link to a post titled Die of Boils, Mr. Sparky Car on his website. The post stated he would officially lock his Twitter account after a week. “It’s been a lovely little war, folks, and some good fun was had,  But until this platform gets better and more honorable management, fuck it, no,” he wrote.

Ken Olin, who starred as Michael Steadman in ABC’s Thirtysomething and served as an executive producer of NBC’s This Is Us left the platform in late-October. He told followers in his last post on Oct. 28 that he was “out of here” and sending hope to be kinder, save the planet, be more generous, and “look to find peace in the world.”