Stars’ Shortest Social Media Breaks: From Hilaria Baldwin to Khloe Kardashian

Credit: Shutterstock (2)

Stars’ Shortest Social Media Breaks: From Hilaria Baldwin to Khloe Kardashian

It’s clear that some celebrities have a love-hate relationship with social media, but most stars have trouble staying away from Twitter and Instagram … even after they announce a “social media break.” Selena Gomez, who was once the most-followed person on Instagram, announced she was stepping back from the internet in 2016 amid her secret battle with lupus. Over the next two years, the “Rare” songstress was on and off the app. “Update: taking a social media break. Again,” she wrote in September 2018 via Instagram. “As much as I am grateful for the voice that social media gives each of us, I am equally grateful to be able to step back and live my life present to the moment I have been given. Kindness and encouragement only for a bit! Just remember - negative comments can hurt anybody’s feelings. Obvi.” Gomez shed more insight into her struggles with social media in June 2019, revealing she doesn’t have Instagram on her phone anymore. “I have it on someone else’s phone and when I feel like I have something I want to share with my fans, or just want to mess around on it, I do it then," she said on Live With Kelly and Ryan. [jwplayer yXItpomq-zhNYySv2] While Gomez typically commits to her social media hiatuses, other celebrities are back to posting within days — or hours — after declaring they were putting their phones down. The Bachelor’s Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lauren Burnham, for example, told Chris Harrison on After the Final Rose in March 2018 that they were planning to avoid social media after the controversial ending of the season 22. Luyendyk Jr. got engaged to Burnham, his runner-up, after he broke off his engagement to winner Becca Kufrin.) Two days later, the pair jetted off to Iceland — and documented every step of the adventure. “I know our social media ‘break’ has been a topic of conversation,” Lauren explained later that month. “We have just been excited to share our life outside of The Bachelor with everyone since we’ve been having so much fun! The break we mentioned was more directed towards spending time reading comments, not about posting pictures.” Scroll through for the shortest social media breaks in recent history: [podcast_block]

Credit: Shutterstock (2)

Stars’ Shortest Social Media Breaks: From Hilaria Baldwin to Khloe Kardashian

It’s clear that some celebrities have a love-hate relationship with social media, but most stars have trouble staying away from Twitter and Instagram … even after they announce a “social media break.” Selena Gomez, who was once the most-followed person on Instagram, announced she was stepping back from the internet in 2016 amid her secret battle with lupus. Over the next two years, the “Rare” songstress was on and off the app. “Update: taking a social media break. Again,” she wrote in September 2018 via Instagram. “As much as I am grateful for the voice that social media gives each of us, I am equally grateful to be able to step back and live my life present to the moment I have been given. Kindness and encouragement only for a bit! Just remember - negative comments can hurt anybody’s feelings. Obvi.” Gomez shed more insight into her struggles with social media in June 2019, revealing she doesn’t have Instagram on her phone anymore. “I have it on someone else’s phone and when I feel like I have something I want to share with my fans, or just want to mess around on it, I do it then," she said on Live With Kelly and Ryan. [jwplayer yXItpomq-zhNYySv2] While Gomez typically commits to her social media hiatuses, other celebrities are back to posting within days — or hours — after declaring they were putting their phones down. The Bachelor’s Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lauren Burnham, for example, told Chris Harrison on After the Final Rose in March 2018 that they were planning to avoid social media after the controversial ending of the season 22. Luyendyk Jr. got engaged to Burnham, his runner-up, after he broke off his engagement to winner Becca Kufrin.) Two days later, the pair jetted off to Iceland — and documented every step of the adventure. “I know our social media ‘break’ has been a topic of conversation,” Lauren explained later that month. “We have just been excited to share our life outside of The Bachelor with everyone since we’ve been having so much fun! The break we mentioned was more directed towards spending time reading comments, not about posting pictures.” Scroll through for the shortest social media breaks in recent history: [podcast_block]

Credit: Courtesy of Hilaria Baldwin/Instagram

Hilaria Baldwin: 3 Hours

The former yoga instructor, who is married to Alec Baldwin, came under fire in December 2020 after she was accused of faking her Spanish heritage and accent. She subsequently announced via Instagram Stories that she was going to sign off Instagram “for a long time.” Hilaria returned to the app three hours later to share a photo of “evening meditation” with three of her five kids. (Hilaria and Alec share Carmen, Rafael, Leonardo, Romeo and Eduardo).

Credit: Courtesy of Khloe Kardashian/Instagram

Khloe Kardashian: 1 Day

The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star told fans in December 2020 that she was “taking a little social media break” to spend time with daughter True. The following day, she posted a snap of the toddler via Instagram.

Credit: Courtesy of Lauren Burnham Luyendyk/Instagram

Arie Luyendyk Jr. And Lauren Burnham: 2 Days

The couple couldn’t help but share photos after season 22 of The Bachelor wrapped in 2018 — despite their plans to stay off the internet.

Credit: Courtesy of Dove Cameron/Instagram

Dove Cameron: 4 Days

The Disney star warned her fans in February 2019 that she was taking a “break from social media” to focus on work. She returned to the platform four days later to announce her new music.

Credit: Courtesy of Candace Cameron Bure/Instagram

Candace Cameron Bure: 10 Days

The Full House alum takes an “annual social media break” every December during the holidays. While the actress announced she was signing off Instagram on December 21, 2020, she returned to the app on December 31 to share her “top nine for 2020.” Three days later, Cameron Bure posted again and declared, “I think my social media break is now over 😉.”

Credit: Courtesy of Ariel Winter/Instagram

Ariel Winter: 16 Days

The Modern Family star’s rep announced on July 6, 2018, that Winter was taking a break from Twitter. Her last tweet before the detox slammed the paparazzi outside of her home. She was back on the app on July 19, 2018, writing, “I’m back,” with several smiley-face emojis.

Credit: Courtesy of Chrissy Teigen/Instagram

Chrissy Teigen: 23 Days

In March 2021, the model quit Twitter after 10 years, saying that the app "no longer serves me as positively as it serves me negatively, and I think that’s the right time to call something.” She added that the pressure to entertain her followers was also getting to her. "My life goal is to make people happy," she wrote. "The pain I feel when I don't is too much for me. I've always been portrayed as the strong clap back girl but I'm just not."

Just three weeks later, though, she was back. "Turns out it feels TERRIBLE to silence yourself and also no longer enjoy belly chuckles randomly throughout the day and also lose like 2,000 friends at once lol," she wrote in April. "I choose to take the bad with the good!!" She also joked that she had been dictating unused tweets to shampoo bottles while in the shower.

Credit: Courtesy of Ant Anstead/Instagram

Ant Anstead: 25 Days

The Wheeler Dealers star signed off social media on August 2, 2020, declaring it “toxic.” He wrote via Instagram: "I have blocked over 100 people in the last few days. Humans are lashing out. And it saddens me!" Less than a month later, Anstead returned to the app to wish son Archie happy birthday on August 27, 2020.

Credit: Courtesy Bindi Irwin/Instagram

Bindi Irwin: 27 days

In June 2021, Irwin announced that she was taking a social media break to focus more on her family. 

"Hi guys, Just a note to say thank you for your support. I'm taking a break from social media and most of my work in the public eye for a month to be with my beautiful daughter and my wonderful family," she captioned an adorable black-and-white photo of her holding her daughter. "I feel tremendously grateful to share our life and conservation work with you but I need some time to focus on the happiness that is my family (both human and animal). You can keep up with our adventures by following my family and Australia Zoo on social media. 💙"

Less than a month later Irwin returned with a post dedicated to her little one. 

"Grace Warrior • A collection of my favourite moments this month. Our beautiful angel has started giggling all the time and absolutely loves nature walks, looking for wildlife with us. Can you believe she’ll be 4 months old soon?! Infinite love and gratitude in my heart. 💛," she wrote alongside a family pic in July 2021.

Credit: Andrew Benge/Redferns

Jessie J: 30 Days

Days after then-boyfriend Channing Tatum announced he was taking a step back from Instagram, Jessie J followed suit.  “Done it before. Doing it again. Having a break from the gram,” she wrote on August 26, 2019. “To get out my phone and into REAL LIFE. I spend way too much time scrolling through some BS.” The singer was back before the end of September of that year.

Credit: Courtesy of Britney Spears/Instagram

Britney Spears: 6 Days

The singer took a social media break in September 2021, days after announcing that she is engaged to longtime boyfriend Sam Asghari.

“Don’t worry folks … just taking a little break from social media to celebrate my engagement!!!! I’ll be back soon," Spears tweeted after deleting her Instagram account. Less than a week later, the performer returned to gush about her romantic getaway with Asghari.

“Some shots from my weekend getaway to celebrate my engagement with my … holy s--t … FIANCÉ … I still can’t believe it !!!!” she wrote at the time. "I couldn’t stay away from the gram too long so I’m back already 💍😂🤷🏼‍♀️🤣 !!!!”