Social media can be a gift and a curse for celebrities, and it is for the latter that some completely avoid it or limit their time on it.
While it affords them the opportunity to get up close and personal with fans, as well as, market products and campaigns they’re on, it also leaves them at the mercy of cyberbullies and critics who may cross the line just to ruffle their feathers or get back at them. The effects of some of these confrontations, as we sometimes witness, are devastating.
Others, however, choose to back away not for the aforementioned reason but for rather personal reasons. Just recently in an interview with Fast Company magazine, Hobbs & Shaw star Idris Elba revealed he’s taking a break off social media because it makes him depressed.
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Idris Elba — Photo via @idriselba on Instagram
“I’ve been trying to wean myself off,” he started. “I used to post a lot more, but it’s been putting me off lately. And Twitter’s just not how I want to receive my news. I read the news aggregated on my iPad, but I can’t check it constantly. I’m not proud of it, but it’s true, because it makes me feel depressed.”
On the back of this, we highlight some black celebrities who quit social media either for good or at a certain point in time. Keep reading to know their reasons.
Leslie Jones — Photo via @lesdogggg on Instagram
Leslie Jones
The former Saturday Night Live star announced she was quitting Twitter in 2016 after she was subjected to racist abuse. This occurred after the release of the Ghostbusters movie which she featured in.
“I leave Twitter tonight with tears and a very sad heart,” she Tweeted. “All this cause I did a movie. You can hate the movie but the sh*t I got today. Wrong.”
She, however, returned some three days later, Tweeting: “Welp … a b*tch thought she could stay away. But who else is gonna live tweet Game of Thrones!!”
Kanye West
Kanye West
The controversial born-again rapper has quit social media on a couple of occasions. In September last year, after a series of questionable rants especially on Twitter, he decided to take a break from the platform as well as Instagram.
“Kanye got to the point where he realized his rants were becoming unhealthy. This is why he deleted his account,” a source told People.
A very short stint, he returned a week later and took to his Instagram page to share a photo of him and Donald Trump.
His Instagram account is, however, currently unavailable.
Amber Rose — Photo via @amberrose on Instagram
Amber Rose
The model and socialite took a brief break in November 2016 and returned two weeks later.
“Hey guys, I just want to let everyone know that I’m taking the rest of the year off of social media,” she announced at the time. “So I’ll have Joe, my assistant, post some cool stuff for me, and I’ll see you in the new year.”
Normani — Photo via @normani on Instagram
Normani
The former Fifth Harmony member and now solo singer quit Twitter in August 2016 due to constant abuse.
“I am taking a break from Twitter for now,” she shared. “Over the past four years of being in the public eye I’ve learned to grow a thick skin to critics and those who may not like me.”
She also added that she was “racially bullied” with tweets and photos that were “so horrific and racially charged” to the extent that she couldn’t subject herself to that kind of hate any longer, according to Billboard.
She, however, returned the next month.
Meghan Markle — Photo via @sussexroyal on Instagram
Meghan Markle
The Duchess of Sussex permanently deleted her Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts after her engagement with Prince Harry was announced.
According to Kensington Palace, Markle said she was “grateful to everyone who has followed her social media accounts over the years.” However, she decided to close them as “as she has not used these accounts for some time.”
