CELEBS AND THE SCOURGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

BILLIE EILISH

The teen pop sensation recently quit social media, denouncing the internet as the playground of “a bunch of trolls”.

In an interview with the BBC, the 18-yearold Grammy winner said she “should have stopped reading comments long ago but the problem is I’ve wanted to stay in touch with my fans and now people have ruined that for me and for them.

“That sucks. It’s weird. The cooler things you get to do, the more people hate you.”

Billie, who recently became the youngest person to write and perform a Bond theme song, has been targeted particularly about her penchant for wearing baggy, eccentric clothing, which she says she wears to avoid being objectified.

“The internet is ruining my life,” she says. “That’s why I stay off.”

CARDI B

The 27-year-old rapper has a love-hate relationship with social media. Last year she went on an expletive-filled rant on Instagram following criticism that she was undeserving of her best rap album win at the Grammys. There was more social media drama when she was pitted against her nemesis, Nicki Minaj.

She then deleted her account, although she was back again not too long afterwards. Cardi also deactivated the account in May 2018 after getting into a heated online argument with rapper Azealia Banks, which saw fans taking sides too.

MILLIE BOBBY BROWN

In 2018 the Stranger Things actress became the subject of a bizarre Twitter trend during Pride Month that paired photos of her with homophobic captions.

While some people claimed the meme was meant to be satirical, the 16-year-old deleted her Twitter account. She later created an account called @Milliestopshate with a message to spread love and positivity and stop bullying.

LIZZO

In January the Truth Hurts singer tweeted she was leaving Twitter as there were too many trolls. “I’ll be back when I feel like it,” she added. The outspoken star, who so far has stayed away, has had her fair share of online drama. As a frequent target of mean comments and body shaming, she’s known for clapping back at the haters. When a doctor tweeted the only reason she was popular was because she was obese, the 31-year-old responded saying she’s popular “because I write good songs and I’m talented”.

DEMI LOVATO

The pop star says she usually has a pretty good sense of humour when it comes to online trolls. “But when people make fun of things I’ve experienced, it can be really hurtful,” she says. “I’m human, so be easy on me. I’m so tired of pretending like I’m not human.” The 27-year-old, who’s been open about her mental health issues and who almost died from a drug overdose in 2018, is no stranger to taking breaks from social media. Last year she quit for a while after siding with her manager, Scooter Braun, during his highly publicised fallout with Taylor Swift over the purchase of the You Need to Calm Down singer’s back catalogue.

ARIANA GRANDE

The 26-year-old pop star, who’s spoken out about her battle with anxiety, took a temporary timeout from Twitter and Instagram in 2018 following a tumultuous year that included the death of her ex-boyfriend, rapper Mac Miller, from a drug overdose and the end of her engagement to US comedian Pete Davidson.

In response to a fan, she wrote, “I’m gonna take a breather from Twitter & IG for a little. Just sometimes can’t help but bump into some negative shit that really can bum you out and it’s not worth it, honestly.”

JUSTIN BIEBER

The singer is often picked on by trolls, especially when it comes to the women in his life.

In 2016 he shut down his Instagram account for a while after receiving a ton of hatred towards his then flame, model Sofia Richie. Many of the haters were fans of his ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez.

Last year he clapped back at a troll who told him to stop posting photos and gushing about his new wife, model Hailey Baldwin. “This is my life. Unfollow me if you don’t like what I post,” Bieber wrote. In recent months the 25-year old was targeted again for his unhealthy-looking appearance, with many accusing him of being back on drugs. He went on to explain it was because he was suffering from Lyme disease, which causes changes in your skin, energy and overall health.