10 celebs who refuse to use social media: From Brad Pitt to Keira Knightley

10 stars who refuse to use social media: From George Clooney to Scarlett Johansson

In a world where social media is practically inescapable, it seems almost unfathomable that some of the most famous people on the planet would get by without it. Yet—despite the overwhelming presence of platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok—a handful of celebrities have chosen to remain unplugged. In many cases, they have shared their reasons for shunning social media—from a desire for privacy to simply not wanting the added pressures.

1. Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt is one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood, yet he has chosen to keep his life offline. “You could, you know, combat the misconceptions or the misquotes immediately. And if I’d have had that in my younger days, I’d have used it,” Pitt told GQ in 2014, adding, “At this point, I don’t want to bother with it.”

2. George Clooney

George Clooney has been vocal about his disdain for social media for years. "I’d rather have a rectal examination on live TV by a fellow with cold hands than have a Facebook page," the Hollywood hunk famously quipped in a 2009 appearance at the Toronto Film Festival. It's worth noting that Clooney's views have remained consistent over time, with the 'Inglourious Basterds' star reiterating in 2022: “I don’t think you can be a star and be that available.”

3. Keira Knightley

For Keira Knightley, a rather unsettling encounter with social media was enough to convince her to stay away for good. “I did actually join Twitter for about 12 hours because I tried to be down with the kids, and it just creeped me out,” she shared on The Jonathan Ross Show. “I didn’t post anything, and I was under a false name and I think because Chloe [Grace Moretz] followed me, suddenly all these people started following me and posting, ‘I’m having a cup of tea now', and I just got completely freaked out.” 

4. Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson’s reasons for avoiding social media are rooted in self-awareness. “I can’t. My ego is too fragile. My brain is too fragile. I’m like a delicate flower,” Johansson candidly admitted during an appearance on The Skinny Confidential Him & Her podcast last year. “I had Instagram once for three days, and when I started realizing that I’d spent 20 minutes looking at somebody’s Instagram page who worked for a friend of mine. I now know you have a pit bull and two daughters and you live in, like, Burbank. I felt so bad like I was missing out on this random person’s life. I was like, I can’t do this," she added.

5. Kristen Stewart

Known for her roles in films like 'Twilight' and 'Snow White and the Huntsman', Kristen Stewart is rather annoyed with social media. “It’s like you’re trampling on someone’s life without any regard,” she told Flaunt magazine per Instyle. “Everyone can do it now. Buy a camera and you’re paparazzi; get a Twitter account and you’re an informant. It’s so annoying.”

6. Phoebe Waller-Bridge

Phoebe Waller-Bridge—the creative mind behind 'Fleabag' and 'Killing Eve'—avoids social media primarily due to the pressure it would place on her as an artist. In a 2019 appearance on the 'How to Fail With Elizabeth Day' podcast, Waller-Bridge explained that she steers clear of it because she "would feel pressure to be funny all the time." At a book launch in London last year, she called social media "madness" and was critical of the way it "fetishizes the idea of how many friends, how many likes, how many followers."

7. Emily Blunt

Emily Blunt has long advocated maintaining a sense of mystery as an actor. "I’ve always loved the mystique of an actor," she explained in a 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "I don’t need to know what they brush their teeth with. I don’t want to know. I love people being hard to figure out." However, Blunt also admitted in an interview with The Guardian last year that she occasionally falls into the trap of doomscrolling online. “I have been prone to getting occasionally pulled into lurking on Instagram, and it just makes you feel terrible,” she said. “I don’t feel good after doing it. I don’t feel like I’ve done anything beneficial to myself. I feel a little bit wobbly. Like I’ve wasted some time.”

8. Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock’s aversion to social media stems from her experience filming the 1995 movie 'The Net', in which her character’s identity is erased by hackers. However, Bullock has also offered more serious reasons for staying away from social media. “Oh god, I would have one glass of rose and be spouting off like [slurs voice], 'This is not the truth!' I’m not ignorant of what’s happening out there,” she said in a 2018 interview, adding, “I look over people’s shoulders, going, ‘What is that little vignette of a cat on a fan?’ I’m just lazy. But I’m going to get on it and troll my friends. Once my kids are using it, I’ll know how to navigate it. I don’t want to be naive.”

9. Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence—known for her roles in 'The Hunger Games' and 'Silver Linings Playbook'—has a more straightforward reason for avoiding social media. "I will never get Twitter. I’m not very good on [a] phone or technology," she admitted in a 2014 interview with BBC Radio. “There is always so much backlash,” Lawrence said during a conversation with InStyle in 2018. "So many people are listening and paying attention, and they have so many opinions about absolutely everything. I really don’t want to welcome that unless it’s absolutely necessary. I don’t want to put myself out there for no reason."

10. Emma Stone

Emma Stone’s decision to stay off social media is perhaps the most straightforward of all: she simply doesn’t want to be on it. In a 2018 interview with Elle, Stone explained that social media "wouldn’t be a positive thing" for her. "If people can handle that sort of output and input in the social media sphere, power to them," she said.