Lizzo admits 'we're leaving toxicity in 2024' as she joins Bluesky amid mass X departure
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Lizzo is making waves in the world of social media once again - but this time, she’s stepping away from X (formerly Twitter) and heading over to Bluesky.
Bluesky is a platform that has been rapidly gaining traction as users leave X in search of a more positive and less toxic digital environment, according to Newsweek.
Lizzo says goodbye to X, joins Bluesky
On November 14, the Grammy-winning singer announced her move to Bluesky with a straightforward yet telling Instagram post: "I hate the internet."
"Anyways I joined bluesky cus we're leaving toxicity in 2024," she added, adding a smiling emoji and a link to her new Bluesky profile.
While Lizzo didn’t explicitly announce she was leaving X, her words reflect a sentiment shared by many who have grown disillusioned with the direction the platform has taken since Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in 2022.
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Lizzo’s move comes amid a broader shift away from X, with many users seeking alternatives to the growing toxicity on the platform.
The singer's move is part of a wider exodus of high-profile figures from X, with many citing a rise in online hostility as a driving factor.
Despite this, Lizzo hasn’t fully severed ties with the platform—she shared a link to her new Bluesky account on her X page, where her last post dates back to September 2023.
She also posted a screenshot of her Bluesky profile on TikTok, dubbing it "#thegreatdigitalmigration."
Bluesky surges as users flee X amid Elon Musk's controversial changes
Since Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter, many users dissatisfied with his changes have sought alternatives, and his involvement in the 2024 presidential campaign has prompted some to leave X entirely.
Leading up to the election, Musk campaigned for Donald Trump who ultimately won.
On November 13, President-elect Donald Trump appointed Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to head the newly established Department of Government Efficiency.
A 2023 University of Southern California study found that hate speech on X saw a sharp increase following Musk’s ownership.
For some, Musk’s involvement in the 2024 presidential election has further solidified their decision to leave X.
In the wake of the election, Bluesky—which was launched by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey—reported a significant surge in users, with over 700,000 new sign-ups in just one week, bringing the total number of users globally to over 14.5 million.
More stars ditch X for Bluesky amid rising digital toxicity
Lizzo isn’t the only celebrity exploring new digital spaces.
As Bluesky continues to grow in popularity, a range of public figures are joining the platform, including director James Gunn, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, model Chrissy Teigen, authors Stephen King and Hank Green, and even actors like Patton Oswalt, William Shatner, and John Cusack.
Former CNN host Don Lemon also announced his departure from X, citing dissatisfaction with the platform’s new terms of service and the rise of toxic discourse.
"I have loved connecting with all of you on Twitter and then on X for all of these years, but it's time for me to leave the platform," Lemon said in an Instagram reel.
"I once believed it was a place for honest debate and discussion, transparency, and free speech, but I now feel it does not serve that purpose," he said.
Lemon also expressed concerns over X's updated terms of service which stipulate that legal disputes will be handled exclusively in Texas courts—a move critics say could shield the platform from litigation and punish critics.
Lemon, like many others, is seeking refuge in platforms like Bluesky where users can escape the ever-growing toxicity that has come to define X in recent years.
