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

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.

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.

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.

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 for advertisers.