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What did Kathy Griffin do? #FreeKathy hashtag takes over Twitter as comedian's account gets deactivated for 'impersonating' Elon Musk

Kathy Griffin
Kathy Griffin's account was suspended for impersonating Elon Musk. (Image via Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

American comedian Kathy Griffin's Twitter account got suspended after she changed her profile name to "Musk."

On November 6, 2022, the 62-year-old star was supported by fans online after she impersonated new Twitter owner Elon Musk and tweeted urging people to vote for Democrats in this week's midterm elections.

BREAKING: @KathyGriffin has been permanently suspended from Twitter for impersonating @ElonMusk https://t.co/ust86DZHKj

Although Kathy Griffin's handle showed her own name, the tag by her blue checkmark read Elon Musk, something which goes against the social media platform's policy against impersonation.

Soon after, her account was suspended, and the move came with a warning from Musk himself, who stated that any account impersonating others will be "permanently suspended" unless they clearly specify "parody" for their actions.


What exactly did Kathy Griffin tweet?

As mentioned above, Kathy Griffin impersonated Elon Musk by changing her moniker to the blue checkmark and violating the social media platform's norms.

According to Vulture, Griffin tweeted as Musk was trying to persuade people to vote for Democrats in November 8's midterm elections. In one of the tweets, she wrote:

“After much spirited discussion with the females in my life. I’ve decided that voting blue for their choice is only right (They’re also sexy females, btw.)”

This move was not appreciated by Musk, who, in a series of tweets, warned others not to do so in order to keep using their Twitter handles. He wrote:

"Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying 'parody' will be permanently suspended."
Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying “parody” will be permanently suspended

He continued his statement in another tweet by saying:

"Previously, we issued a warning before suspension, but now that we are rolling out widespread verification, there will be no warning. This will be clearly identified as a condition for signing up to Twitter Blue. "

Further adding:

"Any name change at all will cause temporary loss of verified checkmark."

Actress Valerie Bertinelli was also part of the ongoing trend to change the user profile name to "Elon Musk" but reverted back after the Twitter Chief gave out his warning. She tweeted:

“Okey-dokey I’ve had my fun and I think I made my point. I’m just not a ‘trending’ kind of gal. Never have been, never want to be. Have a safe Sunday everyone! xo.”
Okey-dokey I’ve had my fun and I think I made my point. 😬 I’m just not a ‘trending’ kind of gal. Never have been, never want to be. Have a safe Sunday everyone! xo 🤍

Twitter reacts to Kathy Griffin's account suspension

After news of Kathy Griffin's account being suspended for impersonating Elon Musk went viral, Twitterati backed her, leading to the #FreeKathy trend on social media. Several users called out Musk for taking people's "sense of humor" too seriously, while others bashed him by sharing a screenshot of his old tweet where he wrote, "comedy is now legal on Twitter."

Well, that didn't age well. #FreeKathy https://t.co/BeAK4qgWMx
Please @ElonMusk, #FreeKathy. I hope you will have a sense of humor throughout this process. After all, we're supposed to be having fun right??!!
Bring back @KathyGriffin.She's worth way more than Musk.#FreeKathy
#FreeKathy suspended. Instead of going after CP or any of the influential woke scolds, let's ban a woman comedian whom the Trump family attempted to destroy for exercising her freedom of speech. Great job, @elonmusk
Elon was upset that Trump got banned but does the same to Griffin for doing less. Very weird #FreeKathy
@elonmusk @mcuban Are you going to require ID for verified accounts to protect others from impersonation? The sad part... people were actually trying to make a point about this very thing... blue check "verification" of accounts without actually verifying identity with a valid ID. #FreeKathy
There are still racists using the N word freely on Twitter and antisemitic tweets floating all over yet it’s Kathy Griffin that gets suspended without even a warning? What a joke! #FreeKathy
History will remember #KathyGriffin for proving #MuskyBalls to be a hypocritical snowflake #FreeKathy
Hey @elonmusk can we agree this is the best pic on the internet? #freekathy Kathy Griffin is gone #fafo #BidenWorstPresidentEver #Bidenflation #kathygriffin #byekathy https://t.co/CP94INql2u
Put on your big boy pants and#FreeKathy
Hey @elonmusk what happened to this? Such a baby. So fragile. So… dare I say Trumpy. #FreeKathy https://t.co/YqidAMhFrB
As soon as Elon finishes deciding he's God Himself, @TheTweetOfGod account is in _serious_ trouble. 🌩️⚡️ #FreeKathy https://t.co/JNzPmdEsU2

Kathy Griffin is not the only one bearing the consequences of Musk's new rules on Twitter. Comedian Griffin Newman's account was also suspended for doing so, even though he tagged his tweets as "parody."

This new move comes after Elon Musk announced an $8 monthly subscription to attain the blue checkmark symbol on the platform, which celebrities, politicians, and other government agencies use to verify their accounts.

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Edited by Priya Majumdar
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