15 Dead Celebrities Elon Musk Has Branded With Twitter’s Controversial Checkmark

Twitter CEO Elon Musk has changed his mind on the social media platform’s “blue checkmark” so many times it can be hard to keep track. But the billionaire’s latest move is the most perplexing.

Musk stripped “legacy” checkmarks from notable Twitter accounts on Thursday before he started doling them out like a badge of shame to celebrities who didn’t want them. Stephen King, LeBron James and Jason Alexander were just a few of the people who received a free checkmark after very publicly saying they wouldn’t pay $8 per month to keep a meaningless symbol.

Even Twitter’s legendary comedy account Dril was given a checkmark several times on Saturday, with the pseudonymous comedian constantly changing his name on the platform in an effort to get rid of the checkmark. Dril, however, continued to be branded the blue check and finally accepted this fate.

On Saturday afternoon, something still more bizarre began to occur. The Twitter team started offering free checkmarks to anyone who had a big following of roughly one million or more followers. Only problem? By doing that, Musk has given checkmarks to people who’ve died. And when you click on the blue checkmark on their profiles it not only says they’ve subscribed to Twitter Blue, it says they’ve handed over their phone number.

Who is the owner of those Twitter accounts Musk desecrated with his cringeworthy act? Below I’ve collected a list of notable figures—the estates of which might have a problem with the fact that Musk is using their dormant accounts to imply they endorse his product.

Checkmarks on Twitter used to signify that the user’s identity had been confirmed. This feature was introduced after Tony La Russa, the baseball legend who sued the company in 2009 for an impersonator. But Twitter doesn’t verify anyone’s identity anymore, meaning a checkmark is nothing more than a status symbol. The mark is now a dunce’s cap, or a status symbol, considering what it has become in only a few days.

Musk set up an automatic response that is sent to all journalists, which was used by Twitter to respond to late-Saturday questions.

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant was a basketball star who passed away in a helicopter collision in 2020. blue checkmark.

Anthony Bourdain

A blue checkmark has been given to Anthony Bourdain who passed away in 2018. You can check it out if you want to. visit his account, it reads, “This account is verified because they are subscribed to Twitter Blue and verified their phone number.”

Chadwick Bosseman

Chadwick Boseman from Black Panther was also awarded a blue checkmark. Boseman passed away from cancer in 2020.

Chris Cornell

Chris Cornell has been remembered as the legendary musician who was famous for Soundgarden, Audioslave and other bands. He died in 2017. blue checkmark.

Jamal Khashoggi

Jamal Khashoggi was a writer for the Washington Post, was killed and dismembered at the order of Saudi Arabia’s ruler Mohammed bin Salman in 2018. Khashoggi is the blue check.

Kirstie Alley

Kirstie Ally has been resurrected after her death in 2022 due to cancer. blue checkmark. Like all of the other celebrity accounts, Alley’s Twitter feed reads, “This account is verified because they are subscribed to Twitter Blue and verified their phone number.”

Chester Bennington

Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, who passed away in 2017, has been honoured with a new memorial. blue checkmark.

Barbara Walters

Barbara Walters’s new life has been given to her by the 2022 death of Barbara Walters. blue checkmark.

Bob Saget

The late comedian Bob Saget has received a homage. blue checkmark.

John McAfee

John McAfee is a developer of software who has died in suicide. blue checkmark.

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson has now been given a memorial. He died in 2009. blue checkmark.

Pele

Pele is the blue shirt of Pele. The legendary soccer player died in 2022. checkmark now.

Norm Macdonald

Norm Macdonald was a comedian who passed away in 2021. He used Twitter a lot. blue checkmark.

Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett’s, the late fantasy writer who died in 2015 was awarded a blue checkmarkPratchett, the only author on this list below 1 million fans. Pratchett’s daughter, who has sparred with Musk online, tweeted that she didn’t paidFor the check mark.

John McCain

John McCain is a U.S. Arizona Senator who died in 2018The checkmark for has been applied to.