Why Virat Kohli, Priyanka Chopra, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylie Jenner lost millions of Instagram followers overnight

SEVERAL celebrities and influencers across the world reportedly witnessed a sharp decline in their Instagram follower counts this week after the platform allegedly removed millions of fake, inactive and bot-linked accounts during a large-scale cleanup drive.

Among the prominent names said to be affected are Virat Kohli, Priyanka Chopra, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylie Jenner, Selena Gomez and several other global celebrities.

The sudden drop in follower numbers sparked widespread discussion on social media platforms, with users dubbing the move the “Great Purge of 2026”.

What Triggered The Massive Follower Drop?

According to reports circulating online, parent company Meta Platforms has intensified efforts to remove spam accounts, bots and artificially inflated followers from Instagram.

Although Meta has not officially commented on the alleged purge, multiple reports claim the platform has recently been targeting inactive accounts and profiles connected to third-party follower boosting services.

Users across social media began noticing dramatic changes in follower counts within a short span of time, with some accounts reportedly losing millions of followers overnight.

Celebrity accounts appeared to be among the most visibly impacted because of their massive audience sizes and the volume of inactive or suspicious accounts attached to them.

Ronaldo, Kylie Jenner And Virat Kohli Among Those Affected

According to online reports, Kylie Jenner reportedly lost more than 14 million followers during the cleanup exercise, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s account allegedly saw a decline of nearly 8 million followers.

Selena Gomez is also said to have lost around 6 million followers.

Other well-known personalities reportedly impacted include Ariana Grande, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Virat Kohli and Priyanka Chopra.

Fans of popular K-pop groups such as BTS and BLACKPINK also observed noticeable drops in follower counts.

Apart from celebrities, several influencers and digital creators claimed they too lost a portion of their audiences during the alleged crackdown.

Some creators alleged that even genuine accounts may have been mistakenly removed or restricted during the process.

‘Great Purge Of 2026’ Trends Online

As screenshots of declining follower counts spread online, hashtags linked to the incident quickly began trending on social media platforms.

Many users referred to the development as the “Great Purge of 2026”, with debates emerging around fake engagement, paid followers and social media authenticity.

Reports suggest millions of accounts may have been removed during a six-hour period alone.

Smaller creators reportedly lost between 2% and 5% of their followers, while celebrity profiles experienced much steeper declines due to their significantly larger followings.

The development has also renewed conversations around the business of artificial follower inflation and the pressure on public figures to maintain massive social media numbers.

Earlier Reports On Fake Followers Resurface

Amid the latest discussion, older reports about celebrity follower inflation resurfaced online.

In 2019, the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance reportedly conducted a study examining fake follower activity among celebrities on Instagram.

The report claimed that some highly followed personalities had large percentages of inactive or suspicious followers attached to their accounts.

American television host Ellen DeGeneres was among the names discussed in reports at the time.

Meanwhile, Priyanka Chopra’s name also resurfaced online in connection with older reports regarding an alleged fake follower investigation. According to reports, the actor was summoned by Mumbai Police several years ago in relation to the matter, though she never publicly addressed the issue in interviews or on social media.

No official evidence has emerged linking the current follower decline directly to celebrities purchasing followers, and no public statements have been issued by the celebrities mentioned in the reports.

Users Report Other Instagram Issues

The reported cleanup comes at a time when several users across Instagram and Threads have complained about unexplained account restrictions, bans and sudden engagement drops.

Some users claimed legitimate profiles may have been mistakenly flagged as part of the anti-spam action.

Instagram has periodically carried out cleanup exercises in the past to remove fake engagement and improve platform authenticity, though the latest reported decline appears to have affected celebrity accounts on an unusually large scale.

As discussions continue online, many users are closely tracking follower counts to see whether the numbers stabilise in the coming days.