Instagram's 'Great Purge of 2026' Sees Celebrities Lose Millions of Followers

A significant social media event, dubbed the 'Great Purge of 2026', has led to numerous celebrities, including Virat Kohli and Kylie Jenner, losing millions of followers on Instagram. This drastic change is attributed to Meta's crackdown on fake and inactive accounts. As the follower counts drop, discussions around the authenticity of social media engagement and the pressures faced by influencers are reignited. Read on to learn more about the implications of this purge and its impact on celebrity profiles.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 8, 2026, 02:17 IST

Massive Follower Losses on Instagram

Users of Instagram globally experienced a significant upheaval as numerous high-profile celebrities reportedly saw their follower counts plummet overnight, an event now referred to as the 'Great Purge of 2026'.

Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli's follower count fell from an impressive 276 million to 274 million, marking a notable decrease. Data from 'Not Just Analytics', a social media analytics platform, indicates that this decline began in the first week of May, with Kohli losing nearly 2 million followers during that timeframe.

This sudden drop in follower numbers is thought to be associated with Meta's initiative to eliminate fake, inactive, and bot accounts. Although Meta has not made any official statements regarding this clean-up, various social media analytics platforms have reported significant declines in follower counts for numerous celebrity accounts.

Online reports and data from Celebrity Radar on X reveal that Kylie Jenner lost over 14 million followers, while football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo experienced a decrease of approximately 8 million. Additionally, singer and actress Selena Gomez reportedly saw a drop of nearly 6 million followers.

Other global stars, including Kylie Jenner and Priyanka Chopra, also faced fluctuations in their follower counts as Instagram ramped up its efforts to purge suspicious accounts.

This clean-up has sparked renewed discussions about inflated follower counts, bot interactions, and the increasing pressure on influencers and celebrities to sustain a vast social media presence.