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Rihanna, Ronaldo, Taylor Swift, Others Lose Millions as Elon Musk Cracks Down on Bot Followers

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High-profile celebrities are seeing their follower counts massively plunge as X begins sweeping purge of bot accounts.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

The numbers are staggering. Global superstars are watching their social media empires shrink. High-profile accounts across music, sport, and politics have been hit. And that’s because X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, is conducting a ruthless clean-up operation. The result is a massive, sudden decline in follower counts.

A major sweep of inactive and bot accounts on X has caused massive drops in follower counts for some of the world’s biggest celebrities. The clean-up has exposed how much of their long-standing numbers were padded by dormant or automated profiles.

Rihanna, Ronaldo, Taylor Swift headline celebrities with HUGE follower decline on X

A huge ton of ollower losses has shaved millions from the counts of icons who once seemed untouchable. Cristiano Ronaldo, the world’s most-followed athlete was one of the hardest hit. His official account fell by about 9 million followers in a single week, dropping from roughly 115 million to around 106 million. The dip comes shortly after his recent White House appearance, but the losses clearly extend beyond any one moment.

Rihanna’s verified account also took a major hit, shedding an estimated 8 to 10 million followers. Her numbers have now slipped below the 100 million line, landing near 98 million. With no new music for years, the purge cleared out millions of inactive fans who hadn’t engaged in a long time.

Katy Perry’s official profile saw a reduction of about 3 to 5 million, bringing her down to around 107 million after previously pushing past 110 million. Even recent music activity couldn’t prevent the platform from removing long-dormant accounts.

Justin Bieber’s verified account lost a staggering 20 million followers so far in 2025 alone, sliding from above 111 million to about 91.4 million. In October 2025, his follower count was cited as 106.2 million, indicating a previous, gradual decline before the larger purge. The drop highlights how even highly devoted fan bases can appear inflated once bots and inactive accounts are cleared out.

Taylor Swift faced one of the most surprising declines. Her verified profile reportedly fell by 6 million, landing on 80 million after previously reaching around 86 million. The purge targeted inactive accounts despite her ongoing global visibility.

Lady Gaga lost around 2 million, Nicki Minaj: more than 2 million, and Beyoncé: roughly 1.5 million, settling near 15 million. Selena Gomez dropped by about 1 to 2 million, landing around 66 million. Even political leaders such as Barack Obama saw visible reductions.

Kim Kardashian also lost more than 6 million followers. Her official account now sits around 68.9 million from 75.3 million after years of benefiting from high-volume fan activity. The purge revealed large pockets of inactive supporters.

Across the board, these losses show the same pattern: X’s latest bot and inactivity purge is forcing a reset. The platform is stripping away years of accumulated digital clutter, revealing which audiences remain actively engaged and which were built on silent, inflated numbers.

Elon Musk gains as global celebrities lose millions in X purge

This purge started gaining serious momentum in mid-November 2025. The primary cause is X’s commitment to improving authenticity. Under Elon Musk’s ownership, the platform is removing dormant accounts, spam bots, and fake profiles en masse. These high-profile accounts, having existed for over a decade, accumulate millions of these ‘zombie’ followers. When the hammer drops, the impact looks dramatic. It is a necessary, if painful, adjustment for the platform.

However, the irony is not lost on observers. Elon Musk’s own account, now sitting at approximately 229 million, has reportedly continued to gain followers. This is likely due to his highly active status and the algorithm’s favouring of constant, high-volume engagement. However, for everyone else, the follower floor appears to be dropping sharply. The era of inflated metrics is ending.

The removal of spam accounts is only half the story. The sustained follower loss among the global elite also points to significant, lasting shifts in user behaviour. The X environment is changing, and more users are leaving the platform.

Since Musk’s 2022 acquisition and the subsequent 2023 rebrand, the platform has seen a gradual user exodus. Monthly active users have reportedly dropped by around 15%, as per a report from Similarweb.

 Many users have cited growing concerns over misinformation and the rise of hate speech. This is not simply a quiet drift. Prominent figures are also making high-profile exits. R&B icon Toni Braxton and Hollywood comedy legend Jim Carrey have quit the platform entirely. Many of these users are migrating to alternative spaces. Bluesky, in particular, is gaining traction. It promises a ‘Twitter-like’ experience but with more stringent moderation protocols.

But the bots purge on X hits follower counts hard. It is particularly noticeable on celebrity accounts that maintain a passive presence. If a celebrity is on hiatus, their non-engaged followers are the first to be pruned or simply leave. Furthermore, X’s 2025 algorithm updates have quietly been at work.

The platform now heavily prioritises ‘real’ interactions. It actively demotes low-engagement accounts. If a star, like Rihanna, posts infrequently, their lack of fresh content amplifies the rate at which inactive followers are weeded out. This is creating a feedback loop of follower loss because the platform now demands continuous activity to maintain visibility. Some speculated that specific celebrity losses were tied to political leanings or public controversies. However, the data confirms this is a systemic, algorithmic issue, not an isolated case of public backlash.

The Bigger Picture

So, is this a permanent blow to the status of these global icons? The consensus answer is ‘No’. This is just X cleaning house. It is not an indicator of fading star power. Rihanna remains one of the most powerful people in entertainment. Cristiano Ronaldo is still the most-followed footballer on the planet. Their cultural relevance is not being measured in fake accounts.

These purges, though dramatic, are cyclical. Follower counts typically stabilise. They often rebound with fresh, concerted activity. The onus is now on celebrities and their digital teams to recalibrate their strategies. A period of increased genuine engagement is necessary. Ramping up posts, collaborating, and interacting with fan replies can help regain momentum. Quality must now triumph over pure quantity.

Musk has teased the prospect of more ‘health checks’ continuing into 2026. This signals X’s commitment to healthier metrics. Think of it like the platform going on a healthy diet and doing a major detox. They are actively seeking out and deleting all the spammy, fake profiles that clog up your feed and skew follower counts. When all the fake users are gone, the statistics for the platform become way more real. If a brand pays to advertise and sees a million views, they want those to be real people, not a million bots. Follower counts for your favorite celebs (like the drops for Cristiano Ronaldo and Beyonce) are now actual human followers, not inflated numbers.

Basically, X is trying to become a cleaner, more authentic place where the numbers you see are the real deal, which makes the platform a better place for users and a better business fo

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BREAKING NEWS: 54-year-old Woman Apprehended For Running Her Own Prison Classified Illegal

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A 54-year-old woman from Nkowankowa, Limpopo, South Africa has been arrested after allegedly operating an illegal prison from her home yard.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

The woman, who also owns a local tavern, is accused of detaining patrons and other community members without any legal authority.

According to police reports, the makeshift detention facility began operating on 2 December 2025. The woman is said to have locked up individuals who caused disturbances at her tavern, particularly those who became violent while drunk. She allegedly kept them confined until they sobered up or settled their unpaid bills.

Authorities further revealed that she detained at least 36 people, some for drinking at her tavern without paying, and others for outstanding debts.

Reports also indicate that the woman used the facility to detain men who allegedly assaulted women while drunk at her establishment.

Police have confirmed that investigations are ongoing.

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Teanna Trump Sets the Record Straight on Relationship with Nicolas Pépé

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Teanna Trump has pushed back against claims that she is with Nicolas Pépé for his wealth, offering a candid defence of her commitment to the former Arsenal winger. Speaking openly about their relationship, she emphasized that financial gain has never been her motivation.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

She revealed that during their first year of dating, she paid for her own flights every two weeks just to make sure Pépé never questioned her intentions. For her, it was important that the Ivorian international understood she came into the relationship as an equal, not someone looking for benefits. “I have my own money,” she insisted, adding that she sees herself as a woman who stands firmly on her own feet.

Trump went further, sharing how she surprised Pépé on his 30th birthday by flying him out on a luxury getaway he knew nothing about. She planned the celebration entirely on her own, setting a thirty thousand dollar budget to mark the milestone. It was, she said, a way of showing appreciation and proving that she is as invested in him as he is in her.

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Florida man threatened to decapitate ‘subhuman’ Rep. Ilhan Omar and ‘eat’ her kids after Charlie Kirk remark Independent

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Florida man threatened to decapitate ‘subhuman’ Rep. Ilhan Omar and ‘eat’ her kids after Charlie Kirk remark
Independent....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

First in The Independent: Myles McQuade, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting an interstate threat to injure, which could put him behind bars for up to five years

A 30-year-old Florida man is facing up to a half-decade in federal prison after confessing to posting violent threats on social media that promised to decapitate Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, murder her “monkey children,” then eat the kids “for protein,” according to plea agreement papers reviewed by The Independent.

VIDEO HERE

Myles M. McQuade, a Tampa resident, made the threats on X, the Elon Musk-owned social network formerly known as Twitter, one day after Omar criticized late right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk in an interview with a progressive news outlet. Her remarks sparked Republican outrage, leading to GOP legislators insisting Omar be stripped of her committee assignments.

“Go back to Somalia before its [sic] too late,” McQuade warned in one post, which is reproduced in his December 2 plea.

In another, McQuade addressed Omar as “you dirty subhuman [N-word].”

In both instances, McQuade’s plea, which was added to the public docket on December 4, says that the threat to kill Omar was “intended… to be a true threat of violence,” and that he “recognized that it would be viewed as a true threat of violence… not idle talk, a careless remark, or something said jokingly.”

Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, is the only Somali-American member of Congress. She said she has faced a skyrocketing number of death threats in recent months, and a Florida man, 30-year-old Myles M. McQuade, has now pleaded guilty to threatening her life.

McQuade is an account executive at a tech company, according to his LinkedIn profile. The charges against him have not been previously reported.

Omar’s family fled war-torn Somalia when Omar was a child. They were granted asylum in 1995, and Omar became a U.S. citizen five years later, at the age of 17. The 43-year-old legislator, who has represented Minnesota’s 5th congressional district since 2019, is the first Somali-American member of Congress, and one of two Muslim women presently serving.

A member of “The Squad,” a group of far-left-leaning Democratic lawmakers, Omar has faced ongoing death threats from the MAGA faithful amid years of vitriolic attacks by President Trump, who last week during a televised cabinet meeting described Omar and her fellow Somali-Americans as “garbage,” and called for Omar to be “thrown the hell out of our country.”

“Those Somalians should be out of here,” Trump ranted, using an incorrect term for Somalis. “They’ve destroyed our country. And all they do is complain, complain, complain. You have her – she’s always talking about ‘the constitution provides me with uhhhh,’” he continued, referring to Omar.

“Go back to your own country and figure out your constitution. All she does is complain about this country and without this country she would not be in very good shape. She probably wouldn’t be alive right now.”

In October, Omar told NBC News that she feared for her life due to a sharp spike in threats over her criticisms of Israel. GOP leaders did nothing to push back against the “toxic language” being used by party members, refusing to “hold extremists in their ranks accountable,” she said, noting that this kind of behavior in fact has “real-world consequences.”

“Since assuming office, two men have pleaded guilty to threatening to kill me,” Omar told the outlet. “This is very real. I fear for my children and have to speak to them about remaining vigilant because you just never know.”

Rep. Ilhan Omar is the only Somali-American member of Congress, and one of two Muslim women serving in the legislative body. She has faced a recent uptick in violent threats, stoked in part by public animosity from the White House

On Sept. 11, Omar sat for an interview with Zeteo, during which she expressed concern that conservatives had “weaponized” the fatal September 10 shooting of Charlie Kirk to attack the left. While emphasizing that Kirk’s death was in fact tragic, Omar said those on the right had recast Kirk wrongly as a unifying presence, rather than a divisive figure who last year demanded she be deported.

“There are a lot of people who are out there talking about him [Kirk] just wanting to have a civil debate,” Omar told host Mehdi Hasan. “These people are full of s**t, and it’s important for us to call them out while we feel anger and sadness.”

At 12:33 a.m. on September 12, McQuade – who was vacationing in Orlando, according to his plea papers – logged onto X and posted a message aimed at a target identified in court documents as “U.S. CONGRESSWOMAN 1.”

“[U.S. CONGRESSWOMAN 1] I’m going to kill you, you dirty subhuman [N-word] and I’ll eat your monkey children for protein,” the post read. “Go back to Somalia before its [sic] too late.”

Eight minutes after that, McQuade followed up with a second X message, according to the plea documents.

“[N-word]. When this country falls I’m going to kill your children in front of you then cut your head off,” the post read.
(US District Court for the Middle District of Florida)

McQuade’s plea bargain says he was “motivated by U.S. CONGRESSWOMAN 1’s status as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives and her official actions.”

As is customary for the Department of Justice, the filing does not include the victim’s name. However, the language used in court filings, in addition to McQuade’s messages, make clear she was the target. (Omar’s office did not respond to a request for comment; a Department of Justice spokesperson declined to share any additional detail.)

Shortly before 8 a.m. that morning, the U.S. Capitol Police “received a report of these threats… and began investigating,” the plea papers say. A team of Capitol Police special agents showed up at McQuade’s apartment that evening, in an attempt to question him, but he was out of town, the plea goes on.

“The agents attempted to contact McQuade by phone, but when they identified themselves, he disconnected the call,” it states.

The agents returned to McQuade’s apartment on Sept. 14, and “attempted an interview,” according to the plea, which does not provide further specifics.

President Trump last week described Rep. Ilhan Omar as ‘garbage,’ and called for her to be deported

Prosecutors charged McQuade in a bill of information filed December 2. He pleaded guilty the same day to one count of transmitting an interstate threat to injure.

The charge carries a maximum of five years behind bars, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.

Seamus Hughes, a senior research faculty member at University of Nebraska Omaha’s National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center, and an expert on violent extremism, is seeing more and more people like McQuade crossing his professional radar.

“With three weeks still to go, 2025 continues its record of the most federal arrests involving threats to public officials in at least a decade,” Hughes told The Independent. “The violent rhetoric touches on all levels of public service, be it the local election official, to a Minnesota congresswoman, to the president of the United States – the connective glue being a rising and concerning subset of Americans who see threatening murder as an acceptable outlet to express their political disagreements. It never is, it never should be, and hopefully… it never will be.”

McQuade is set to appear for a hearing in Tampa federal court on December 22.

Defense attorney Andrew Searle, who is representing McQuade, did not respond on Monday to a request for comment.

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