Twitter restores blue checkmarks for more celebrities - even some dead ones

San Francisco, California - Twitter CEO Elon Musk has dished out more blue checkmarks to celebrities that didn't want them, including some who have passed away.

Twitter gave out more free Twitter Blue subscriptions to celebrities over the weekend, and users began to notice that some dead stars got them too.
Twitter gave out more free Twitter Blue subscriptions to celebrities over the weekend, and users began to notice that some dead stars got them too.  © Collage: IMAGO / Design Pics & Screenshot / Twitter

On April 20, the social media site removed checkmarks from users that had not signed up for its new Twitter Blue subscription service.

After a few days, a handful of stars came forward to let the world know they didn't sign up, despite receiving their checkmark back out of the blue.

Musk then revealed that he had paid for only three famous figures - Stephen King, Will Shatner, and LeBron James - to stay verified on the platform.

Just when everyone thought the checkmark drama was over, several more big names have come forward with similar claims, including Lil Nas X, Neil Gaiman, and more.

"on my soul i didn't pay for twitter blue, u will feel my wrath tesla man!" the Old Town Road rapper wrote.

The situation grew even more bizarre as users noticed that a handful of free subscriptions were given to dead celebrities.

Twitter grants blue checkmarks to dead celebrities

NBA legend Kobe Bryant, Anthony Bourdain, actor Chadwick Boseman, and even Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist that was murdered in 2018, all received posthumous checkmarks on their accounts.

It's unclear if giving checkmarks to the dead was another intentional move by Musk or simply a mishap in the algorithm, but many have criticized it as distasteful and disrespectful regardless.

Many celebrities have found hacks to back out of the unwanted subscription, getting rid of the checkmark once and for all.

Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO / Design Pics & Screenshot / Twitter

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