Lights, camera, logout — no, it's not the tagline of a new movie, but a trend that's taking the showbiz world by storm. The stars seem to be disappearing from our screens faster than avocado toast sells out on a Sunday brunch, bringing on a modern-day revolution towards a simpler, digital-free life. But why are the celebrities, the high-profile, the verified ones, deciding to disconnect?
It's no secret that mental health and social media share a turbulent relationship. Famous people who left social media include Selena Gomez and Tom Holland, who've been vocal about the mental health toll that social media can take. The alluring red hearts and thumbs-up icons might suggest instant gratification, but scratch the surface and you'll find all the pressure to maintain a perfect facade.
Sure, it's not a mass exodus, but the number of celebrities leaving Twitter and other social media platforms, even temporarily, is turning heads. For some, leaving social media is a welcome break from the harsh glare of online scrutiny. Being constantly in the spotlight, 280 characters at a time, can take a toll. Notably, the reasons to quit social media vary — from wishing to get their privacy back, avoiding the trolls, or simply longing for a world less digital and more authentic.
Only a few departures, though, are permanent. Many find themselves on a social media hiatus, a digital detox, a breather from the endless parade of filtered realities. We often see them returning rejuvenated, carrying stories and lessons learned from their time away. And yet, for others, quitting social media is a one-way trip — a permanent separation from an online world that has become toxic, addictive, and sometimes even dangerous. Today, we'll take a look at an ensemble cast of celebrities who quit social media (some forever, some temporarily) — as always, we invite you to upvote your favorite stories so they can rank higher on the list!
#21 Gabby Douglas

Gold Olympic medalist Gabby Douglas has dealt with an unstable rapport with social media. In a post made in August 2022, Douglas confessed she was battling with mental health issues and required some distance from social media to deal with the matter properly. This heartfelt note was greeted with encouragement from her online friends and followers.
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8points
#22 Lewis Capaldi

After a surge of popularity following his successful track, Someone You Loved, Lewis Capaldi felt the strain of social media and opted to step away to concentrate on his forthcoming album. His departure from platforms like Instagram and Twitter was announced in a typically playful post. However, the Scottish singer has since returned to these platforms.
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8points
#23 Chrissy Teigen

Despite being famous for her active Twitter presence, Chrissy Teigen has also had her share of trolls and cyberbullying to deal with. In 2014, she took a break from the platform due to negative responses to her tweets addressing a shooting incident and gun violence. She has since returned to Twitter.
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8points
#24 Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj parted ways with Twitter in 2012 due to the online abuse she had been receiving. "Like seriously, it's but so much a person can take. Good f***ing bye." Despite this, she returned to the platform a week later.
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8points
#25 Daisy Ridley

Daisy Ridley, renowned for her role in Star Wars, withdrew from Instagram in 2016 following criticism for her stance on gun control. Despite previous statements indicating she may never return to Instagram, she surprised fans by resurfacing in April 2022 with a quirky photo of herself in laser-style glasses while enjoying tea. Her comeback caption read: "Coming out of social media hibernation refreshed, recharged, and ready for what I'm calling my 'Year of Yes'. (And that's the tea.)"
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7points
#26 Sonakshi Sinha

Sonakshi Sinha, once an active Twitter user known for her sharp comebacks to online trolls, deactivated her account. Despite her reputation for never shying away from a confrontation, the actress felt overwhelmed and decided to withdraw from her 15.9 million followers, noting that "The first step to protecting your sanity is to stay away from negativity."
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7points
#27 Josh McDermitt

Josh McDermitt gained fame in 2014 following his role in The Walking Dead. He chose to abandon social media due to cyberbullying. The star was on the receiving end of numerous death threats from the series' fans after his character, Eugene Porter, allied with the show's iconic antagonist, Negan.
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7points
#28 Leslie Jones

The comedian Leslie Jones was forced to leave Twitter due to racist abuse from right-wing trolls. She made a return to the platform in 2016.
7points
#29 Iggy Azalea

Iggy Azalea temporarily left Twitter in early 2015 after facing body-shaming over her beach photos. Before her hiatus, she tweeted, "Just got back from a great vacation, came online and saw apparently it's shocking and unheard of to be a woman and have cellulite." She later returned and now has a following of over 7 million people.
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6points
#30 Travis Scott

In November 2020, Travis Scott temporarily deactivated his Instagram account, around the same time as the US election. Six days later, Scott reappeared on Instagram to announce his partnership with Sony and the PS5.
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6points
#31 Gigi Hadid

Supermodel Gigi Hadid decided to deactivate her Twitter account due to increasing hate and bigotry on the platform, which she said was becoming "more and more of a cesspool of hate & bigotry, and it's not a place I want to be a part of." She expressed regret about the decision to her fans. "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 place for anyone, nor a social platform that will do more good than harm."
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6points
#32 Ariel Winter

After earning fame through her role as Alex Dunphy in Modern Family, Ariel Winter was often subjected to negativity on her social media platforms, particularly Twitter. She expressed a need for a break to take a breath and enjoy herself without criticism. She later came back.
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5points
#33 Zayn Malik

While Zayn Malik is active on Twitter currently, there was a time in 2012 when he decided to delete his account. He cited negative opinions and daily hate as the reason for his reduced activity on Twitter. Malik urged his fans with kind words to reach out to him via the One Direction account.
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5points
#34 Normani Kordei

In response to continuous racist slurs from Twitter users, Normani Kordei of Fifth Harmony decided to take a hiatus from the platform. Numerous celebrities took to Twitter to express their support and affection for her decision.
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4points
#35 Kendall Jenner

Kendall Jenner took a brief hiatus from Instagram for a week in late 2017, citing dependency issues as the reason during a chat with Ellen DeGeneres. She described the app as the first and last thing she checked daily, leading her to want to take some time off.
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3points
#36 Justin Bieber

Over the summer of 2016, Justin Bieber deactivated his Instagram account due to negative comments aimed at his then-girlfriend Sofia Richie. He made a return to the platform in February 2017.
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3points
#37 Azealia Banks

In August 2016, Azealia Banks deleted her Facebook, citing her exhaustion from the constant monitoring of her words and actions and pressure to conform to certain behavior. However, her hiatus from social media didn't last long, and she soon returned to the platforms.
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3points
#38 Demi Lovato

In 2019's summer, Demi Lovato made it public through Instagram Stories that she planned to retreat from social media for a while. "Taking a break for a while. Be kind," she posted. The move to distance herself from the web followed her decision to stand up for her new manager, Scooter Braun, whom she partnered with in May 2019, amid his infamous dispute with Taylor Swift.
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2points
#39 Hailey Bieber

Hailey Bieber vanished from Instagram at the end of 2016 without giving any specific reason. Around the same time, she confirmed to her followers that she had also removed her Snapchat account. Since then, she has made a return to Instagram.
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1point


