Twitter shenanigans are in full swing as the legacy Verification program started to wind down on April Fool’s Day — which was a joke in itself. However, not nearly as pointed a prank as that which the celebrity universe is experiencing right now; an identity crisis has arisen as to whether to pay the $8, not to pay the $8, or let Elon Musk pay it (to himself) on their behalf.
Most authentic celebrity accounts have millions of fans following them, which is authenticity provenance enough. It’s easy to tell the fake ones — or fan accounts — when they have two to three followers, or at best a few thousand. The verification process only requires — according to Twitter itself — a display name, a profile photo, 30 days of activity, more than 30 days in existence, and a phone number, making it easy to game the system. Set up shop, be active for 30 days, have a phone number, and voila, the account is authentic, according to Twitter, and can now be given the prestigious blue badge. That is, once the $8 is paid.
Some celebrities seem to be getting a free ride on that, though, because Elon Musk feels it’s important to keep the blue badge of notoriety on those accounts for some reason. However, some celebrities paid the $8 as soon as they were asked, while others weren’t that interested, since their following had already set them apart from everyone else.
Celebrities who made a statement
Lady Gaga didn’t actually take time to make a statement, but her views were heard loud and clear when her blue checkmark faded away and she couldn’t have cared less about it. Who really expected her to stand by a transphobic guy who has a transgender daughter and still holds transphobic views?
Adele also didn’t make a big deal out of it. She just let the blue checkmark go, but she also doesn’t seem to be very active on Twitter, either, since her last post was in March, and there are so many other social platforms to engage fans.
Ryan Reynolds said NO to the checkmark.
Lil Nas made his blue checkmark fade as funny as Halle Berry’s…
That’s just a handful of celebrities who didn’t bother to authenticate. On the other hand, who are the celebrities that did?
Celebrities who paid
Taylor Swift most likely paid the $8 as soon as she was asked, not thinking about the ramifications it would cause, or the statement that it would make.
Shawn Mendes retains his blue badge of courage while also not being very active on Twitter, since his last post was in March.
Thor appears to have kept his checkmark status too.
Surprisingly, Neil Patrick Harris is still holding onto the blue badge, despite his obvious differences with the platform’s owner.
So does Ellen DeGeneres, though it’s surprising when celebrities in the LGBTQ community support Twitter.
Miley Cyrus obviously paid her $8.
The Weeknd remains in action on Twitter with his blue badge and recent promotions of “Double Fantasy.”
Rihanna remains authentic on Twitter while posting cute baby photos.
For all anyone knows, Snoop Dogg might have just smoked Musk out yesterday, and that’s how his blue checkmark stayed up.
While training to remain Wolverine, Hugh Jackman is making sure his 15 million followers know that he’s still Hugh Jackman.
Of course, Grimes remains authentic as she supports Musk, SpaceX, and anything else Musky.
Elon Musk paid for them
Stephen King made it clear that he did not follow protocol and didn’t want the damn thing.
Elon Musk answered that he did it for him, verifying that the billionaire will pay for those celebrities he deems worthy who refuse to pay for themselves.
You’re welcome namaste 🙏
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 20, 2023
However, according to Rolling Stone, Musk only claims to have paid for Stephen King, LeBron James, and William Shatner.
The Star Trek icon appears to be having fun with the gift he’s been given.
If it’s true that Musk only paid for three, that means all other celebrities with blue checkmarks paid for themselves. Is it possible for them to get their money back? That would make a big statement if Twitter found itself in the midst of a celeb refund request storm.