Do Celebrities Buy Instagram Followers? The Shocking Truth

Do celebrities actually buy followers? It's a question that comes up whenever someone gains millions of followers seemingly overnight. The answer might surprise you, but it shouldn't: yes, many celebrities have purchased fake followers, and some have been publicly exposed doing it.

Quick Answer: Yes, celebrities buy followers. The New York Times investigation exposed 55+ celebrities who purchased fake followers from Devumi. Instagram's 2014 purge saw Justin Bieber lose 3.5 million followers and Kim Kardashian lose 1.3 million. A HypeAuditor study found that 66% of mega-influencers with over 1 million followers engaged in some form of social media fraud. It happens more than most people realize.

The Devumi Scandal: 55+ Celebrities Exposed

In January 2018, The New York Times published "The Follower Factory," an investigation that changed how we think about social media celebrity. The investigation exposed Devumi, a company that sold over 200 million fake followers to more than 200,000 customers.

Among those customers? Celebrities, politicians, athletes, and business leaders.

Celebrities Named in the Investigation

The Times investigation identified numerous high-profile Devumi customers:

Entertainment Industry

• John Leguizamo (actor) - An associate admitted purchasing followers on his behalf
• Clay Aiken (former American Idol finalist) - Named as a customer
• Sonja Morgan (Real Housewives of New York) - Identified in the investigation
• Ryan Hurst (Sons of Anarchy actor) - Reportedly bought 750,000 followers

Business and Media

• Michael Dell (Dell Computers founder) - Named in the investigation
• Kathy Ireland (model/entrepreneur) - Employee purchased approximately 940,000 followers; her count jumped from 160,000 to 1.1 million
• Lori Greiner (Shark Tank co-host) - Brand strategist purchased tens of thousands of followers starting in 2014
• Martha Lane Fox (British Parliament member, Twitter board member) - Attributed purchases to a "rogue employee"

Media Personalities

• Hilary Rosen (CNN contributor) - Made purchases between 2015-2017; called it "an experiment"
• Paul Hollywood (celebrity chef) - His account was deleted after the Times inquired
• Michael Symon (celebrity chef) - Admitted "I thought it would drive traffic...It's embarrassing"

Athletes

• Ray Lewis (former NFL player) - About 32% of his followers identified as fake; his assistant denied purchases despite email evidence
• James Cracknell (British Olympic rower) - Admitted purchasing 50,000 followers, calling it "fraud"

The investigation also named DJ Snake, Katie Lowes, Adam Peaty, Akbar Gbajabiamila, and dozens more. Many responded with variations of "someone else did it" or simply refused to comment.

Instagram's 2014 Purge: The Numbers Don't Lie

In December 2014, Instagram cleaned house. The platform deleted spam accounts and fake profiles in what became known as "The Instagram Rapture" or "The Great Purge." The results revealed just how many celebrities had inflated follower counts.

Who Lost the Most Followers

Instagram's own account lost 18.8 million followers during the purge.

The Ma$e Meltdown

Rapper Ma$e experienced one of the most dramatic drops. His account went from over 1.6 million followers to just 272,000 overnight - a loss of more than 83% of his following. The backlash was so severe that Ma$e deleted his entire account.

When over 80% of someone's followers turn out to be fake, that tells you something about how those followers got there.

The Statistics: How Common Is This?

It's not just a few bad apples. Research suggests fake followers are widespread among top-tier accounts.

HypeAuditor Study Findings

A comprehensive HypeAuditor study analyzed Instagram influencers and found disturbing patterns:

• 55% of Instagram influencers engaged in some form of social media fraud in 2020
• 45% of Instagram accounts analyzed were found to be fake
• 66% of mega-influencers (1M+ followers) engaged in fraudulent activity

The bigger the account, the more likely they've manipulated their numbers.

Industry-Wide Problem

A 2019 GQ Australia investigation found that huge stars like Ellen DeGeneres, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, and Priyanka Chopra all had significant percentages of fake followers among their massive audiences.

In India, where influencer marketing is valued at over Rs 1,800 crore, research found that nearly 58.5% of Instagram profiles had fake followers exceeding 60% of their total following.

Why Do Celebrities Buy Followers?

Given the risks of exposure, why do celebrities (or their teams) purchase fake followers?

1. Perception Creates Reality

In entertainment, perception often matters more than reality. A celebrity with 5 million followers gets different treatment than one with 500,000. They get:

• Bigger brand deals
• Better negotiating power
• More media coverage
• Higher perceived value

The follower count becomes part of the brand image, even if those followers aren't real people.

2. Team Members Acting Independently

Many celebrities named in the Devumi scandal claimed employees, managers, or publicists made purchases without their knowledge. Kathy Ireland's team blamed an employee. Martha Lane Fox cited a "rogue employee."

Whether these explanations are convenient excuses or genuine situations, they highlight that celebrity social media accounts are often managed by teams with their own incentives.

3. Keeping Up with Competitors

When your competitors all have inflated numbers, staying "honest" means looking less successful. It creates pressure to match fake metrics with fake metrics.

4. Brand Partnership Requirements

Some brand deals have minimum follower requirements. If a celebrity is close but not quite there, the temptation to "round up" with purchased followers exists.

How Twitter's 2018 Purge Exposed More Celebrities

Instagram wasn't the only platform cleaning house. Twitter conducted its own purge of fake and locked accounts in 2018, and the results were revealing.

Major Twitter Losses

• Lady Gaga - Lost 2.51 million followers
• Taylor Swift - Dropped from 85.57 million to 83.24 million (lost over 2 million)
• Barack Obama - Lost approximately 2 million followers
• Multiple politicians - Significant drops across party lines

The pattern was clear: anyone with an unusually large following likely had a significant fake component, whether they purchased those followers or accumulated them through other means.

The Legal Consequences: What Happened to Devumi

The Devumi scandal didn't just embarrass celebrities. It established legal precedent that selling fake followers is illegal.

FTC Settlement

In October 2019, the FTC settled with Devumi and its founder German Calas Jr. for $2.5 million. The settlement marked the first finding by a federal law enforcement agency that selling fake social media engagement is illegal.

New York Attorney General Action

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a groundbreaking settlement declaring it illegal to sell fake followers, likes, and comments. The case established that using stolen identities for fake accounts constitutes identity theft.

Devumi ceased operations in mid-2018 and its founder agreed to pay $50,000 to New York State.

What This Means Going Forward

The Devumi case created legal risk for both sellers AND buyers of fake engagement. While no celebrities faced legal consequences, the precedent exists for future enforcement.

Can You Tell If a Celebrity Has Fake Followers?

Yes, with the right tools and knowledge, fake followers leave traces.

Tools That Reveal the Truth

SparkToro - Provides fake follower audits for Twitter accounts HypeAuditor - Analyzes Instagram accounts for audience authenticity Social Blade - Tracks follower growth patterns over time FollowerAudit - Identifies suspicious follower characteristics

Red Flags to Watch For

1. Sudden spikes followed by drops - Purchased followers often get purged
2. Low engagement despite high followers - Real fans interact; bots don't
3. Followers from unexpected regions - A US celebrity with 80% followers from Indonesia raises questions
4. Generic follower profiles - No photos, no posts, random usernames

What Happens to Celebrities Caught with Fake Followers?

The consequences vary, but reputation damage is real.

Public Reaction

A survey found:

• 80% of people would view their favorite celebrity differently if they had fake followers
• 75% said they would stop purchasing promoted products from a celebrity with fake followers

Brand Partnership Impact

Brands now use analytics tools to verify influencer audiences before signing deals. Celebrities with suspicious metrics find themselves passed over for campaigns.

Career Implications

Michael Symon, the celebrity chef caught in the Devumi scandal, admitted publicly: "I thought it would drive traffic...It's embarrassing."

James Cracknell, the Olympic rower, called his own purchase "fraud."

The embarrassment factor is real, and in an era where authenticity is valued, being exposed as having fake followers undermines credibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do celebrities really buy Instagram followers?

Yes, documented evidence proves many celebrities have bought followers. The New York Times Devumi investigation named 55+ celebrities. Instagram's 2014 purge saw major stars like Justin Bieber (3.5M lost) and Kim Kardashian (1.3M lost) have massive portions of their followings removed as fake accounts. Studies suggest 66% of mega-influencers engage in some form of follower fraud.

Which celebrities were caught buying followers?

The Devumi investigation identified numerous celebrities including John Leguizamo, Kathy Ireland, Michael Dell, Lori Greiner, Clay Aiken, Sonja Morgan, Ray Lewis, and dozens more. Celebrity chefs Paul Hollywood and Michael Symon were also named. Many attributed purchases to employees or managers acting without permission.

How many fake followers did Kim Kardashian have?

Kim Kardashian lost approximately 1.3 million followers during Instagram's 2014 purge of fake accounts. Studies have estimated that around 44% of her followers were fake or bot accounts at various points. She was also named in connection with the Devumi fake follower investigation reported by the New York Times.

Is buying Instagram followers illegal?

Since the Devumi case, selling fake followers has been established as illegal in the United States. The FTC and New York Attorney General settlements created legal precedent. While celebrities haven't faced charges for buying followers, the legal framework now exists for potential enforcement against buyers as well as sellers.

Why would a famous celebrity need to buy followers?

Even famous celebrities face pressure to maintain impressive metrics for brand deals, negotiating power, and public perception. Sometimes their management teams make purchases without direct knowledge. The competitive nature of social media creates incentives to inflate numbers, especially when competitors may be doing the same thing.

How can I tell if a celebrity has fake followers?

Use tools like HypeAuditor, SparkToro, or Social Blade to analyze their accounts. Look for sudden follower spikes, unusually low engagement rates, followers from unexpected geographic locations, or generic follower profiles with no posts or photos. Authentic accounts show gradual growth and engagement that matches their follower count.

The Bottom Line: Celebrities Are Human Too

The uncomfortable truth is that many celebrities have purchased fake followers at some point. Some did it knowingly; others had team members do it on their behalf. Either way, the practice is more common than the polished Instagram feeds suggest.

Instagram's purges, the Devumi scandal, and ongoing research all point to the same conclusion: fake followers are everywhere in celebrity culture. The pressure to appear popular drives behavior that ultimately undermines authenticity.

If you're building your own following, the lesson here isn't that buying followers is acceptable because celebrities do it. The lesson is that fake followers get exposed eventually. They don't engage, they don't convert, and they can embarrass you publicly.

Real growth takes time. But real followers actually care about your content, engage with your posts, and provide genuine value. That's something no amount of purchased numbers can replicate.

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