Gabrielle Union is the latest celebrity to ditch X following the election, with the actress on Friday saying “enough is enough” for her on Elon Musk’s platform.
Union shared exit plans in a letter posted to X (formerly Twitter). She pointed to “the return of volatile figures” — although she doesn’t name anyone in particular — and a change to X’s terms of services as two reasons she’s ditching the app.
“Platforms like X were founded on authentic connections, true engagement and creative expression, all anchored in respect for user privacy and trust,” Union wrote. “Yet with the recent and upcoming changes to the terms of service — and the return of volatile figures — I find myself at a crossroads, facing a direction I can no longer fully support.”
She continued: “I am committed to engaging in spaces that truly value inclusivity, respect and integrity in the digital word. Sometimes, that means recognizing the last straw and knowing when to step away.”
X recently changed its rules, requiring users to file lawsuits against the company in Texas — either in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas or in state courts in Tarrant County. The changes go into effect on Friday.
The rule changes were one of the reasons ex-CNN host Don Lemon said he left X earlier this week. Union joins Lemon among a growing list of celebs and media pundits to exit X this week, including MSNBC’s Joy Reid, Jamie Lee Curtis and author Stephen King.
Union said her fans can still follow her on Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Bluesky, Spill and Facebook. She did not deactivate her X account, which has 4.2 million fans, so she could theoretically come back pretty quickly if she changes her mind at some point.
The wave of celebrity and media departures come after Musk’s preferred candidate, Donald Trump, beat Kamala Harris in the 2024 election last week. Musk has been the president-elect’s most vocal supporter on the app, and also helped Trump via his America PAC, which spent more than $100 million to help get the Republican back in the White House. The Tesla and X boss was also named the co-head of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) by Trump on Tuesday.
Union’s move to Bluesky and Threads is a common one many self-imposed X exiles are making this week. Threads has enjoyed healthy growth since the election, as left-leaning X users seek alternatives to Musk’s platform. The Meta-owned app has seen a 6.8% jump in daily users since the election; it now has 11 million daily active users, according to data shared with TheWrap by Sensor Tower. Bluesky, another social posting rival to X, has also enjoyed a post-election user surge — one that pushed it to the top of Apple’s App Store on Thursday.
But even with big names leaving the app, X has still seen its daily user base increase 5% after the election, according to Sensor Tower’s data.
