Elon Musk effect: From Gigi Hadid to Amber Heard, 6 celebrities who have quit Twitter

American supermodel Gigi Hadid is the latest celebrity to leave Twitter, after tech behemoth Elon Musk bought the platform in a $44 billion takeover last week.

The 27-year-old supermodel took to Instagram on Saturday to inform her 76.2 million Instagram followers that she would be deactivating her account due its "new leadership", calling it a "cesspool of hate and bigotry."

Musk kicked off his acquisition by promptly firing a host of several top officials, including CEO Parag Agrawal. On Tuesday, he announced that the site would now charge users $8 per month to verify their accounts and allow access to a blue tick.

His controversial plans have sparked a flurry of backlash across the internet, with several celebrities and fans alike have threatened to leave Twitter for good.

Here are 6 celebrities who have officially quit Twitter:

1. Gigi Hadid

The 27-year-old supermodel announced that she has deactivated her account amid the mass company-wide layoffs – including the human rights team, Page Six reported.

Hadid apologised to her fans for doing so, stating, "Only sorry to the fans, who I have loved connecting with for a decade via Twitter – but I can't say it's a safe place for anyone – nor a social platform that will do more good than harm."

2. Amber Heard

American actor, and Elon Musk's ex-girlfriend, Amber Heard, appears to have deleted her account just a week after Musk's takeover.

The two dated briefly between 2017 and 2018, with Musk's name even being swept into the infamous defamation trial between Heard and ex-husband Johnny Depp.

Heard's Facebook and Instagram accounts are still active, and she has not yet shared a statement on why she left Twitter.

3. Shonda Rhimes

Best known for being the mind behind some of television's most popular shows, including Grey's Anatomy, How To Get Away with Murder and Scandal, producer Shonda Rhimes, announced her exit last week.

"Not hanging around for whatever Elon has planned", Rhimes tweeted. "Bye."

Her tweet has since amassed over 47,000 likes.

4. Toni Braxton

"I'm shocked and appalled at some of the 'free speech' I've seen on this platform since its acquisition", the 55-year-old R&B singer said. Braxton, one of the best-selling female artists in history, took to the platform to release a statement before deleting her account entirely.

• Elon Musk effect: Gigi Hadid quits Twitter, calls it a 'cesspool of hate'