Celebs Who Refuse To Use Social Media
Celebrities maintain massive social media followings by sharing the most mundane updates imaginable. Still, their often flashy online personas and sophisticated lifestyles are addicting — especially to those who want a peek into their favorite stars' personal lives. While some celebrities embrace the many marketing and self-promotion tools social media has to offer, others value privacy way too much to share intimate details online. Celebs like Keanu Reeves and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are known for their secrecy. Although it may seem that these stars strive to maintain mysterious and intimidating personas, they really just crave privacy.
Many of the celebrities on this list have spent the majority of their lives being chased down by paparazzi, exposed, and harassed. Candid interviews reveal that these stars likely just want to protect the little control that they have over their personal lives. It does make you wonder, though, why so many stars are constantly online if their peers seem to view social media as their worst nightmare.
Nonetheless, these celebrities who refuse to use social media provide compelling arguments for why they avoid the internet.
Model Kate Moss doesn't post selfies
Supermodel Kate Moss became a fashion industry icon in the '90s when she graced runways and posed for campaigns for the most sought-after designers. Although the model is a seasoned professional, she is still passionate about what she does. "It helps that I still really enjoy modeling, even after all these years," Moss said in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald.
Given her natural talent and interest in modeling, fans might assume the photogenic beauty is an avid Instagram user. Moss actually isn't a fan of social media. "The whole modeling scene is completely different to when I first started out. Everything now is so instant with digital photography and there's no mystique," she told The Sydney Morning Herald. It seems the model may also shy away from social media due to privacy concerns because she went on to share that she is "just not into posting about personal stuff online." Though her modeling agency maintains an Instagram account, Moss herself does not.
According to The Guardian, Moss has dealt with privacy invasion throughout her career. In 2004, the star's lawyers challenged OK! magazine for printing photos that featured the mom on a beach with her young daughter. It is understandable that Moss prefers to protect her privacy as much as possible.
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are private people
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were arguably the biggest child stars of their time. The twins' role as Michelle Tanner on "Full House" solidified their spot in Hollywood as incredibly famous kid actors — a spot neither of them actually wanted. Over the years, the secluded sisters have made it very clear that they have no plans of returning to television. The Olsen twins opened up about why they stepped away from the spotlight in their adult years. "I don't have to be a pretty face. I've done that, but now it's important and liberating to be on the other side of the lens. I don't like to be the center of attention anymore," Ashley told Elle UK (via E! News).
The "other side of the lens" Ashley is referring to is her work for her fashion line with sister Mary-Kate called "The Row." According to i-D, the twins began this line at age 18 in an attempt to work behind the scenes rather than in front of the camera. Ashley explained that she didn't want her and Mary-Kate's stardom to be associated with the brand. "We didn't want to be in front of it, we didn't necessarily even want to let people know it was us," Ashley told i-D. "It was really about the product, to the point where we were like: Who could we get to front this so that we don't have to?" Mary-Kate told the outlet that the twins were "discrete people." As stars who aren't interested in being the face of their own brand, their absence from social media is not out of character at all.
Mila Kunis doesn't like online negativity
Actor Mila Kunis is not quite as private as some of her social media-resistant peers. She frequently does interviews and graces red carpets, but don't expect to find her on Instagram or Twitter anytime soon. Kunis doesn't like the negativity that is often present on social media. We know how toxic the internet can be, and celebrities often bear the brunt of cruel online trolling. It seems this negativity has scared the star away from making her own public social media accounts.
Kunis' husband and former "That '70s Show" co-star, actor Ashton Kutcher, is an avid social media user despite his wife's disinterest in these platforms. Kunis gave a bit of insight into this dynamic in an interview with Cosmopolitan. "[Kutcher] used to be incredibly forward-thinking with social media, when the intent was to connect to people," the actor explained. "But it took an ugly turn and became all about who can be the loudest, who can be the angriest and the most negative. Then it's just not a fun game to play."
The ugly side of social media keeps Kunis away, but Kutcher is active on both Twitter and Instagram, where he frequently posts updates on his life and his business endeavors. Although Kunis' fans can't keep up with her life by following her own social media accounts, Kutcher often snaps photos of his wife for his Instagram account.
Kristen Stewart is opening up offline
As fans of the "Twilight" franchise know, movie star Kristen Stewart can be a bit reserved at times. Based on Stewart's long-standing social media absence, she may not be interested in sharing the details of her private life with the public. Still, tabloids and paparazzi obsessed over her every move during the height of her "Twilight" fame.
While Stewart does not have her own accounts, she did take over fiancee Dylan Meyer's Instagram in September 2020 to encourage fans to register to vote. She shared an effortlessly cool selfie with a caption that read, in part, "I never do this but for anyone who has not registered to vote please take this opportunity to feel HEARD."
The actor opened up about her opinion on social media use in a 2019 interview with The Hollywood Reporter during a Venice Film Festival press conference. "I don't have social media, but there is an interaction that I acknowledge and at times I covet," Stewart said. She recalled that sudden fame affected her in the early stages of her career. "For a minute a few years ago I felt like I had to protect myself so much. And now I'm totally unguarded, and it's a beautiful feeling." Fans will just have to watch out for interviews with the "Spencer" star.
Brad Pitt's life is 'pretty good' without social media
Movie star Brad Pitt's accomplished career took off during a time when actors didn't have social media to help them gain exposure. He was able to become successful by rising through the ranks of Hollywood alone. This could explain why the actor told E! that his life has been "pretty good" without Instagram. "Never gonna happen," Pitt said when asked about joining the platform. He went on to clarify why he feels this way, saying "No, I never say never ... Life's pretty good without it. I don't see the point."
Pitt told The New York Times how he struggled with being in the public eye decades ago: "In the '90s, all that attention really threw me. It was really uncomfortable for me, the cacophony of expectations and judgments. I really became a bit of a hermit and just bonged myself into oblivion."
Like many stars, he aimed to protect his personal life as much as possible, even when much of it might be compromised by fame. With Pitt's low-key lifestyle over the years, he doesn't seem like the type to tweet about his current Netflix obsessions or post Instagram selfies anyway.
Robert Pattinson has a passion for privacy
It seems there is little Robert Pattinson wouldn't do to remain unrecognized in public. A 2017 interview with GQ detailed the extreme measures the "Twilight" star took to avoid being followed by paparazzi. The actor told the magazine he had sets of clothes ready to change into throughout the day in case he was recognized and needed to throw photographers off their track. Although Pattinson has been famous for years, it seems he still hasn't adjusted to the constant privacy invasions that come with being in the spotlight. "People were like, 'It's fine, who cares?' 'They're just photos or whatever.' They'll say, 'Just live your life.' But that's not life for me, if someone's observing it," he said of his early days in Hollywood.
Pattinson's disdain for unwanted attention could be the reason why he doesn't use social media.
He also offered his own explanation for his online absence through a moment of self-deprecating humor. When The New York Times pointed out that he wasn't on Instagram, Pattinson quipped, "Well, I'm old and boring. And I only have abs, like, two weeks a year." Although Pattinson is a bit of a recluse, the star revealed in 2020 that he has a secret Twitter account he uses to stay informed on random topics (via W). We're not sure if that account is still active, though, because fans can be pretty relentless in trying to reveal their favorite celebs' undercover accounts — remember Lorde's secret onion ring review Instagram page?
Social media 'wouldn't be a positive thing' for Emma Stone
Emma Stone is a woman of many talents, but social media influencing isn't one of them. The actor cited public scrutiny and self-image issues as being part of the reason why she avoids social media. She broke all of this down for Elle with friend and fellow actor Jennifer Lawrence. "I think it wouldn't be a positive thing for me. If people can handle that sort of output and input in the social media sphere, power to them," Stone said.
She continued on about public scrutiny, self-image, and the internet. "I struggled a couple of years ago with feeling like how I looked was being scrutinized, and then I realized that anything that really bothers me that people could comment on is something I'm already worried about," explained the actor. These relatable insecurities suggest that celebrities are not so different from the rest of us after all.
Stone's comments open up a conversation on the long-term effects of social media on self-esteem, which have proven to be rather concerning (via HuffPost).
Scarlett Johansson thinks social media is strange
Marvel money-maker Scarlett Johansson rewards fans with her presence on the big screen year after year, but her social media presence is nonexistent. Johansson has shared her opinion about these platforms in the past. "Personally, I don't feel the need to brand myself in that way. But as a means to share information and raise awareness of things, I think these social-networking platforms are unprecedented," the actor explained to Interview magazine. She continued on about why she feels that sharing personal details online is odd: "I don't have a Facebook or a Twitter account, and I don't know how I feel about this idea of, 'Now, I'm eating dinner, and I want everyone to know that I'm having dinner at this time.' or 'I just mailed a letter and dropped off my kids.' That, to me, is a very strange phenomenon."
It seems Johansson doesn't want to get too personal online. Her husband, however, is active on Instagram. Actor, comedian, and writer Colin Jost uses the platform to promote his work. He doesn't post about wife Johansson or their life together, perhaps in an attempt to keep the relationship as private as possible.
Daniel Radcliffe is afraid he'll fight fans online
"Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe can't seem to find the magic in social media. During a "Hot Ones" interview with First We Feast, the star joked that his argumentative side could get him in trouble online, so he avoids social media altogether. "I would love to say there's some incredibly thought-out intellectual reasoning for this, because I considered getting a Twitter at one point, and I 100 percent know that if I did, you would all be waking up to stories of like, 'Dan Radcliffe gets into fight with random person on Twitter," the actor shared.
While this information may be disappointing to fans, Radcliffe's hesitancy to join social media could be in his best interest because he had some pretty negative online experiences at the start of his career. "When I was younger ... I used to, like, look up comments about myself on the internet," the actor confessed. He said this comment browsing was "an insane and bad thing to do," and that he views social media as "an extension of that."
Much like his movie star peer Robert Pattinson, Radcliffe has also done some extreme things to avoid paparazzi — like wearing the same jacket every day to throw photographers off. While the actor receives attention from loyal viewers of his films, he doesn't appear to be too fond of online spectating. However, he can appreciate his diehard fans in the real world, telling Jonathan Ross that he had a "Beatlemania" moment with the fandom in Japan when he bumped into a young girl, who promptly fainted.
Kate Winslet wants to protect her children
Kate Winslet is very vocal about her concerns regarding the impact of social media. The actor and mother of three has shared these opinions with "This Morning," The Times, and Vogue, among other outlets. She took to "This Morning" to state that her children "don't have any social media at all." Even with outside influences and pressure from peers, Winslet believes her children will respect the rules and stay off the apps. "They understand that they don't really need it," she said in reference to social media use.
It seems a major factor in Winslet's unwavering views on the internet is the way social media upholds unrealistic standards that will impact the next generation. The actor told Harpers Bazaar, "I do worry about the extra pressure to be 'perfect' on girls growing up now. I'm obsessed about the misuse and potential perils of social media for our younger generation. We need to be aware of how damaging to children's self-esteem and the natural process of growing up certain aspects of this 'sharing' are."
Winslet's passion for the topic of online toxicity indicates that we may not find her on Twitter or Instagram any time soon.
George Clooney fears for his family's safety
Why does George Clooney refuse to use social media? Well, the actor opened up to Variety about how he fears his drinking habits could result in some interesting tweets. "I like to have a drink at night. I could easily say something stupid, and I also don't think you need to be that available," he said. Clooney's fans would probably love to read his uncensored tweets, but he isn't interested. He also spoke for his buddies, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt, who aren't on social media either. "I don't see Matt [Damon] or Brad [Pitt] or myself wanting to get our thoughts out in a 140-character-thing at 3 in the morning," he shared, per Variety.
Privacy could also be a concern for Clooney, who maintains an extremely private relationship and family life with human rights lawyer wife Amal. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Clooney wrote an open letter to the Daily Mail pleading with the outlet to "refrain" from publishing photos of his children. "The nature of my wife's work has her confronting and putting on trial terrorist groups and we take as much precaution as we can to keep our family safe. We cannot protect our children if any publication puts their faces on their cover," the actor wrote, in part.
Jay-Z joined Instagram for one day
Jay-Z created a ton of online buzz when he garnered over 1 million Instagram followers in a single day — just to delete his account the next morning (via CBS News). The rapper only followed his megastar wife, Beyoncé, during his short time on the platform. Beyoncé quickly followed her husband back, temporarily ending her streak of not following a single Instagram account. Jay-Z made a first impression by sharing a single post and accompanying Instagram story promoting a film he produced titled "The Harder They Fall."
Fans quickly began speculating why the star joined the platform for only one day. One Twitter user offered a very logical explanation. "JAYZ activated his Instagram for the sole purpose of promoting #TheHarderTheyFall. He fulfilled his contractual agreement and deactivated. A business man," the user wrote. Jay-Z has yet to address the possible social media stunt himself. While the rapper is no longer active on Instagram, he does have a Twitter account that is rarely updated.
Matt Damon uses social media in secret
Matt Damon opened up to GQ about his opinions on social media, suggesting he's never been a fan. "I understand wanting to be connected to everybody on Facebook, but my life is so full and I'm connected, really, to everybody I need to be connected to," the actor shared. He also took a dig at Twitter. "And then Twitter, I just reflexively didn't believe that my first knee-jerk response to something was necessarily something that should go all over the world," he said. Despite his disinterest in maintaining a public social media image, Damon revealed that he does have "a very private Instagram account."
Following the release of that September 2021 GQ interview, fans quickly uncovered what is assumed to be the actor's secret account. Like Damon mentioned during the interview, the profile displayed 76 followers and 40 posts at the time fans discovered it, per the New York Post. The account's many verified followers and username "odamnmatt" certainly didn't aid Damon's attempt at anonymity, either. As of this writing, the account in question has not been deleted and still has the original username.
Keanu Reeves doesn't have anything to say
Much of Keanu Reeves' personal life has remained a mystery as a result of his private nature and limited online presence. The "Matrix" franchise star elaborated on his reasoning for opting out of social media during an interview with Entertainment Tonight. Reeves noted that privacy is a major factor in why you won't find him tweeting or posting selfies. He also joked about not knowing what kind of content he would post: "And yeah, I don't really have anything to say about anything!"
Reeves often reiterates his passion for privacy, including during a 2019 Parade interview that went in-depth (but not too in-depth) about the actor's life and career. "I came to Hollywood to be in movies," Reeves said. "I feel really grateful that I've had that opportunity, but I'm just a private person, and it's nice that can still exist." It seems the actor may have overcome the nearly impossible feat of maintaining privacy in Hollywood.