Elon Musk’s multi-billion dollar Twitter takeover has upended even the biggest celebs as the overhauls keep coming.
Amber Heard’s account has disappeared mere days after her ex bought the platform for $44 billion, as her handle @realAmberHeard was unable to be found as of Thursday.
While some social media watchdogs suspect she might have wanted a break from the never-ending backlash following her public courtroom standoff against her ex-husband Johnny Depp, others questioned if it had anything to do with Musk.
The pair dated in 2016, keeping their love under wraps for a year before going public, and split in 2018.
The two first met on the set of “Machete Kills” in 2013, which Heard starred in and Musk merely made a cameo. At the time Musk was with his then-wife Talulah Riley, and Heard with then-husband Depp.
It wasn’t until 2016 that Musk began courting Heard, but the newfound love didn’t come without turmoil. In 2017, they split for the first time — which Musk claimed was “amicable” — then reunited, then split again for good.
But the breakup didn’t stop Musk from popping up in Heard’s life — or conversations. In the bombshell defamation trial between Heard and Depp, the “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor accused his ex of cheating on him with Musk before their divorce was finalized.
While the Tesla CEO denied the claims, he weighed in on the trial, saying both are “incredible” when they’re “at their best.”
But now that Heard’s Twitter account has mysteriously disappeared, speculators wonder if the seemingly amicable relationship might have turned sour, although it’s unclear. Reps for the “Aquaman” actress and Musk have not returned The Post’s requests for comment.
Meanwhile, Musk’s social media acquisition has been nothing but chaos, as more stars quit the platform after the app’s new owner demanded $8 to keep their blue check marks.
Earlier this week, Musk bit back at the critics who flamed him for charging the monthly fee for the verified status, but the tech mogul won’t budge on his decision — which is $12 less than his original subscription plan.
“To all the complainers, please continue complaining, but it will $8,” he quipped on the platform.
On Tuesday, he unveiled his inspiration behind charging for the verified symbol, saying the current verification process is “bulls–t.”
“Twitter’s current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bulls–t,” Musk tweeted. “Power to the people! Blue for $8/month.”
His proclamation and sudden upheaval of the Twitter everyone knows and loves ruffled some feathers with already-verified users, causing a mass exodus of stars such as “Grey’s Anatomy” creator Shonda Rhimes and actor Rob Reiner.
“Not hanging around for whatever Elon has planned. Bye,” Rhimes tweeted last week.
“[Pay] $20 a month to keep my blue check? F–k that, they should pay me. If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron,” acclaimed author Stephen King tweeted this week.
“Musk makes me think of Tom Sawyer, who is given the job of whitewashing a fence as punishment. Tom cons his friends into doing the chore for him, and getting them to pay for the privilege. That’s what Musk wants to do with Twitter. No, no, no,” King wrote later in a subsequent tweet.
Meanwhile, other stars are gearing up for an online war, challenging Musk’s lofty ideas and “crackpot conspiracy theories.”
“Just hours after taking control of this platform, its owner spread crackpot conspiracy theories about the attempted murder of Speaker Pelosi. Now is not the time to leave. Now is the time to fight for our Democracy. Vote blue. Hold the Congress. Then explore options,” Reiner tweeted.
“Stories that have been written @ this $8/mo service are odd. From a proposed $99/year annual fee when 8×12=$96 to what about the benefits of Twitter Blue now with NFT avatars? Where did that go? Also how do you give a [blue check mark] & then say pay me? Was I on a trial period for 13 yrs?” criticized actor William Shatner on Thursday.
Musk’s dramatic overhaul of the app has even caused advertising agencies to “pause” running ads on the app, as the Tesla CEO proposes sweeping changes to the platform. The changes are so drastic and immediate, that Musk, as the interim CEO, is pushing his employees to work around the clock.
A photo of Twitter’s director of product management Esther Crawford was posted to the app Wednesday, showing Crawford asleep in a sleeping bag on the floor of the office space. The post follows the news of Musk reportedly cutting the staff in half and firing top executives.
“When your team is pushing round the clock to make deadlines sometimes you #SleepWhereYouWork,” Crawford responded.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
