Current:Home > NewsJamie Lee Curtis and Don Lemon quit X, formerly Twitter: 'Time for me to leave' -Global Capital Summit
Jamie Lee Curtis and Don Lemon quit X, formerly Twitter: 'Time for me to leave'
View
Date:2025-04-13 18:44:31
Jamie Lee Curtis and Don Lemon are among the big-name X (formerly Twitter) users leaving the social media site since President-elect Donald Trump announced the platform's owner, Elon Musk, will have a role in his administration.
In a Wednesday Instagram post, "Halloween" actress Curtis shared a screenshot showing her X account's successful deactivation. In her caption, she quoted the Serenity Prayer: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. Courage to change the things I can. And the wisdom to know the difference."
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Curtis for comment.
Around the same time, former CNN anchor Lemon posted an Instagram Reel and a statement on X detailing his reasons for leaving the Musk-owned platform, with which he's had a contentious relationship. In August, Lemon sued Musk over a scrapped content partnership deal with X.
“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 the 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.”
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Lemon also pointed to X's new terms of service, which go into effect on Friday and direct all legal disputes to be "brought exclusively in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas or state courts located in Tarrant County, Texas."
“As the Washington Post recently reported on X’s decision to change the terms, this ‘ensures that such lawsuits will be heard in courthouses that are a hub for conservatives, which experts say could make it easier for X to shield itself from litigation and punish critics,'” Lemon said. “I think that speaks for itself.”
UK news outlet The Guardian is also leaving 'toxic' Twitter
On Wednesday morning, the U.K. newspaper The Guardian, which also has offices in the U.S. and Australia, announced plans to stop sharing content with its 27 million followers across more than 80 accounts on X.
"We think that the benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives and that resources could be better used promoting our journalism elsewhere," the outlet's announcement reads.
"This is something we have been considering for a while given the often disturbing content promoted or found on the platform, including far-right conspiracy theories and racism. The US presidential election campaign served only to underline what we have considered for a long time: that X is a toxic media platform and that its owner, Elon Musk, has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse."
The message concludes: "Thankfully, we can do this because our business model does not rely on viral content tailored to the whims of the social media giants’ algorithms – instead we’re funded directly by our readers."
Musk quickly fired back a response: "They are irrelevant." In a separate post, he wrote, "They are a dying publication."
'America is done'Cardi B, Joe Rogan, Stephen King and more stars react to Trump's win
What is Elon Musk's role in Trump's second presidency?
Last April, NPR left X after its main account was labeled "state-affiliated media," then later "government-funded media." The designation was "falsely implying that we are not editorially independent," the nonprofit news company said in a statement to USA TODAY at the time.
A day later, PBS left the platform under the same circumstances.
Musk, who also owns SpaceX and Tesla, bought the social media site then known as Twitter in 2022 for a reported $44 billion.
On Tuesday, Trump announced Musk, who backed his return to the White House with public appearances and reportedly millions in donations, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, a former rival for the Republican presidential ticket, as his picks to co-lead a so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
The department would "dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies," Trump said in a statement. He has not offered further details about how the group would operate and whether it would be a government agency or an advisory board.
veryGood! (9867)
Related
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- Dutch king and queen visit Georgia’s oldest city and trade powerhouse during US visit
- Michigan couple, attorney announced as winners of $842.4 million Powerball jackpot
- Missouri man set to be executed for ex-lover's murder says he didn't do it
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- John Leguizamo calls on Television Academy to nominate more diverse talent ahead of Emmys
- Some California officials can meet remotely. For local advisory boards, state lawmakers say no
- Four people shot at downtown Atlanta food court, mayor says
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- Dick Van Dyke makes history with Emmys win – and reveals how he got the part that won
Ranking
- Stamford Road collision sends motorcyclist flying; driver arrested
- John Leguizamo calls on Television Academy to nominate more diverse talent ahead of Emmys
- Is 'Hit Man' based on a true story? Fact checking Glen Powell's Netflix Gary Johnson movie
- California lawmakers fast-track bill that would require online sellers to verify their identity
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Mindy Kaling Teams Up With Andie for Cute Summer Camp-Inspired Swimsuits You Can Shop Now
- Billy Ray Cyrus Files for Divorce From Firerose Over Alleged Inappropriate Marital Conduct
- Militants attack bus in India-controlled Kashmir, kill 9 Hindu pilgrims, police say
Recommendation
All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
A Florida law blocking treatment for transgender children is thrown out by a federal judge
US Coast Guard says ship with cracked hull likely didn’t strike anything in Lake Superior
Radio host Dan Patrick: 'I don't think Caitlin Clark is one of the 12 best players right now'
A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
How many points did Caitlin Clark score tonight? No. 1 pick and Fever silenced by Sun
Mexican singer Ángela Aguilar confirms relationship with Christian Nodal amid his recent breakup
Benny Gantz, an Israeli War Cabinet member, resigns from government over lack of plan for postwar Gaza