Kathy Griffin ducks Elon Musk’s Twitter ban by using late mom’s account: ‘#FreeKathy’
Kathy Griffin has challenged Elon Musk to a game of Twitter whack-a-mole after she was booted from the platform for impersonating the billionaire tech mogul.
The comedian ducked Twitter suspension on Sunday by using the account of her late mother, Maggie Griffin, to continue trolling Musk, the new CEO of the social media site. Twitter has recently suspended the accounts of several celebrities — including Griffin, Sarah Silverman and Rich Sommer — who changed their display names to his.
“I’m back from the grave to say… #FreeKathy,” Griffin tweeted from her mom’s page. She also changed the account’s display name and profile picture to match Musk’s.
“Oh by the way this is KG,” she later clarified. “I’m tweeting from my dead mother’s account. She would not mind.”
Shortly after Twitter suspended Griffin’s account, Musk declared over the weekend, “Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying ‘parody’ will be permanently suspended.”
However, when political columnist Benny Johnson tweeted on Sunday that Griffin had “been permanently suspended from Twitter for impersonating @ElonMusk,” Musk quipped, “Actually, she was suspended for impersonating a comedian.”
“You stole that joke, you a—,” Griffin responded hours later from her mother’s account. “People have been posting that joke for hours, you hack. Look, please do a better job running this company. It used to mean something. This is KG btw.”
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Griffin isn’t the only entertainer who has been kicked off Twitter for mocking Musk in his own name. According to Insider, “Mad Men” actor Sommer’s account was suspended after he copied Musk’s profile and jokingly tweeted, “Okay, time to employ plan b since they’re MAKING me keep twitter.”
Though her account has since been reactivated, comedian Silverman posted a screenshot proving her page had been temporarily locked after she adopted Musk’s name and tweeted, “I am a freedom of speech absolutist and I eat doody for breakfast every day.”
Per Insider, actor and former UCLA football player Chris Kluwe’s account was suspended after he mimicked Musk’s profile and tweeted, “There is nothing better than waking up and enjoying a fresh, steaming cup of my own urine. Such a tangy way to start the day, and it’s scientifically proven to help brain cells grow. If you want to be like me, drink your pee.”
Musk tweets a link to an unfounded conspiracy theory about Paul Pelosi to millions, showing that Twitter has become a powerful tool of right-wing attacks.
On Monday, Musk shared a link to the official Twitter rulebook, which reads, “You may not impersonate individuals, groups, or organizations to mislead, confuse, or deceive others, nor use a fake identity in a manner that disrupts the experience of others on Twitter.”
“Twitter rules will evolve over time,” Musk tweeted, “but they’re currently the following.”
In the wake of Musk’s Twitter takeover, other stars have ditched the platform. Prominent figures who have forsaken the bird app so far include TV producer Shonda Rhimes, singer Toni Braxton and model Gigi Hadid.
“I’m shocked and appalled at some of the ‘free speech’ I’ve seen on this platform since its acquisition,” Braxton tweeted last week. “Hate speech under the veil of ‘free speech’ is unacceptable; therefore I am choosing to stay off Twitter as it is no longer a safe space for myself, my sons and other POC.”
“Not hanging around for whatever Elon has planned,” Rhimes tweeted. “Bye.”
On Monday’s episode of “The View,” panelist Whoopi Goldberg vowed to leave Twitter “today.”
“It’s so messy, and ... I’m gonna get out,” she said. “And if it settles down, and I feel more comfortable, maybe I’ll come back. But as of tonight, I’m done.”
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