Ronaldo to Kohli: 11 celebs who lost millions of Instagram followers

Hyderabad: Instagram users across the world were shocked after several top celebrities suddenly lost millions of followers within just a few hours. The trend is now being called the “Great Instagram Purge of 2026” on social media.

According to multiple reports, Instagram’s parent company Meta has reportedly started removing fake followers, spam accounts, inactive profiles, and bot accounts from the platform. Though Meta has not officially confirmed the exact details, users noticed massive drops in follower counts almost overnight.

Celebrities Who Lost Millions Of Instagram Followers

Several global stars were reportedly affected during the Instagram purge:

•  Kylie Jenner reportedly lost over 14 to 15 million followers.
•  Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly lost between 8 and 18 million followers.
•  Selena Gomez reportedly lost around 6 million followers.
•  Taylor Swift reportedly lost nearly 5 million followers.
•  Ariana Grande reportedly lost around 7 million followers.
•  Kim Kardashian reportedly saw a major drop in followers.
•  Virat Kohli reportedly lost more than 2 million followers.
•  Priyanka Chopra reportedly lost close to 1 million followers.
•  BTS reportedly lost around 7 million followers.
•  BLACKPINK reportedly lost close to 10 million followers.
•  Lionel Messi reportedly lost around 5 to 8 million followers.

Why Is Instagram Removing Followers?

Reports suggest Meta is trying to clean up the platform and improve authenticity on Instagram. The crackdown is believed to target:

•  Fake followers
•  Bot accounts
•  Spam profiles
•  Inactive users
•  Accounts linked to third-party follower boosting services

Experts say millions of fake and inactive accounts may have been deleted during the cleanup drive. The move could help brands and advertisers understand the real reach of celebrities and influencers.

Did Celebrities Buy Fake Followers?

The purge has once again started discussions about fake followers and paid engagement on social media. While there is no proof that every celebrity intentionally bought followers, experts say highly followed accounts naturally attract large numbers of fake and inactive profiles over time.

Some online reports also claim accounts connected to follower boosting apps and paid engagement services were specifically targeted during the cleanup.

Many users first believed Instagram had a glitch. Others thought celebrities were being mass unfollowed by fans. Soon, hashtags related to the “Great Purge of 2026” started trending across social media platforms.