Left-wing activist and actress Bette Midler threw a hissy fit on Twitter after losing her blue check verification as part of the social media platform’s recent update.
Midler took to Twitter on Thursday to express her frustration and address Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of Twitter, accusing him of making her pay monthly after years of contributing to the platform.
The “Hocus Pocus” actress initially complained about the development earlier in the day, stating that she was now unverified after years of providing free content to Twitter.
Midler’s message went viral, garnering 1.9 million views and numerous mocking responses.
Several Twitter users mocked the has been actress, with some questioning her relevance and others suggesting that she should be embarrassed by her tweet.
Following the platform’s update, only government accounts are eligible for free verification on Twitter.
Individuals and businesses are now required to pay a mere $8 per month to join the Twitter Blue program, which also allows users to edit tweets.
In response to Midler’s situation, meme-maker Carpe Donktum started a satirical GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for her verification.
The campaign, which received a mixture of support and mockery, had raised $160 as of Friday morning.
While most celebrities lost their blue checkmarks during the update, Elon Musk ensured that three prominent figures who publicly pledged not to subscribe to Twitter Blue retained their verified status without paying for it.
NBA star LeBron James, horror author Stephen King, and “Star Trek” actor William Shatner continue to be verified on the platform.
Stephen King tweeted on Thursday that his Twitter account indicated he had subscribed to Twitter Blue and provided a phone number, although he claimed to have done neither.
Musk responded with a sarcastic “You’re welcome namaste” and later confirmed that he had maintained blue checkmarks for Shatner, LeBron, and King exclusively.
Given how much money Midler has, for rich celebrities to complain about having to pay $8 a month seems rather small and petty.
Lets hope Musk sticks with it and forces these whiny celebrities and journalists to pay up if they want their precious blue checkmark.
