Amber Heard’s Twitter account disappears days after ex-boyfriend Elon Musk’s $44 billion takeover as celebrities from William Shatner to Stephen King rake in over $8 a month for blue tick status
- Amber Heard’s Twitter account disappeared after Musk acquired the platform
- Heard and Musk began dating in 2016 but split in 2018 due to the long distance
- CEO Musk has announced a series of changes at the top of the company
- Star Trek’s William Shatner is one of many celebs who say he won’t pay for Twitter
Amber Heard appears to have deactivated her Twitter account within days of her ex-boyfriend Elon Musk taking over the platform, as a number of celebrities oppose the takeover.
A search of @realAmberHeard starting Thursday revealed the movie star’s account was missing.
It wasn’t immediately clear why Heard shut down her account, and some Twitter users speculated that she might want a break from the backlash over her defamation lawsuit with ex-husband Johnny Depp.
But others wondered if her ex-boyfriend, as the head of her social media account, gave her second thoughts about staying.
Heard and Musk started dating in 2016 and went public with their relationship a year later after secretly dating.
In February 2018, reports surfaced that the couple had finally split.
Amber Heard’s Twitter account disappeared after Musk acquired the platform. Heard and Musk began dating in 2016 but split in 2018 due to the long distance
Heard’s Twitter page reveals that the account no longer exists, although no explanation has been given as to why
William Shatner’s reaction to Musk’s Twitter changes
William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk in the original Star Trek, had a curt response when asked if he’d spend $8 to keep his blue check verified status.
“I think the $8 is for filing a complaint,” he said, adding a wink to the tweet.
“To answer your question, would I pay for a blue check? no I don’t have to pay for a fake status when I have a real one. Elon may think people would do it. Knowing people’s sensitive egos online; he’s probably right.”
He ended the tweet with the hashtag #noblueisbetter, which is used by users to signal that they have no intention of paying the Twitter fee.
Addressing the split amid speculation, the couple said: “We want to speak for ourselves. The distance was really hard on our relationship because we didn’t get to see each other often.
“Of course, all relationships have their ups and downs.”
Heard wasn’t the only celebrity looking to take a step back from the platform after Musk became CEO after a back-and-forth with Twitter’s board of directors, of which he is the sole member.
Grey’s Anatomy writer Shonda Rhimes said she would step down from the platform if the changes materialized, as did singer Toni Braxton.
More celebrities took to Twitter to protest upcoming changes after Musk announced he intended to charge $8 for a blue tick verification badge, a price he revised down from $20.
The online protests came shortly after horror author Stephen King said he would quit the platform if she pressed charges.
“You should pay me,” he said, echoing sentiments from other celebs who opposed Musk’s changes.
Musk responded to a tweet from The Shining author complaining about the new fee, in the first hint that he plans to revise the price from $20 to $8.
Musk, 51, has pitched his idea for a blue check fee since buying the company, claiming it will end the current “Lords and Peasants” system on the social media platform.
Actress Mia Farrow, as well as Madam Secretary star Téa Leoni, She Hulk actress Jameela Jamil, and authors and activists Shaun King and Amy Siskind have also threatened to boycott the platform after Musk took power.
Toni Braxton, left, announced she was leaving the social media platform after purchasing Elon Musk. Grey’s Anatomy author Shonda Rhimes (right) said the same thing
The “badges” could go live as early as Monday, Bloomberg reported, with current blue check holders given a “grace period” of several months before being forced to either pay for them or lose them.
Beyond that, by the end of this week, Musk plans to eliminate approximately 3,700 employees and end Twitter’s “work from anywhere” policy to reduce costs.
Musk had hesitated over how many jobs he would cut during his attempt to buy Twitter. He originally said it would be 75 percent of the company’s 7,500 employees before telling employees last week, with some reports suggesting it would be 25 percent.
Author Stephen King, who wrote The Shining, said he will exit the platform if Musk introduces a blue tick verification fee
Elon Musk speaks to employees at Twitter headquarters. The CEO reportedly gave the platform’s engineers an ultimatum, telling them to overhaul the platform in two weeks