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• In 2023, celebrities saw their Instagram followings seesaw amid major scandals.
• Doja Cat called losing nearly one million followers freeing, while Ariana Madix gained 600,000 after "Scandoval."
• From divorces to "mean girl" drama, here are 5 of the biggest losses — and gains — of the year.

Perhaps there's no greater litmus test for scandal than a celebrity's Instagram following.

And in 2023, amid 'mean girl' drama, contentious lawsuits and divorces, and explosive revelations of infidelity, several celebrities — including Selena Gomez, Doja Cat, and Ariana Madix — saw their accounts seesaw as fans rushed to show solidarity and disappointment.

Here are 5 of the biggest follower losses — and some major gains — that took place on the app this year.

Selena Gomez, Kylie Jenner, and Hailey Bieber

In March, so-called "mean girl" drama enveloped the accounts of Selena Gomez, Kylie Jenner, and Hailey Bieber.

A week after Gomez became the most-followed woman on the app, surpassing Jenner, users believed Jenner had mocked Gomez's eyebrows. Jenner posted a screenshot of a FaceTime call with Bieber, zoomed in on both of their brows — which the reality star denied was a dig at Gomez.

Still, onlookers rallied behind the singer, as she gained 13 million followers roughly two weeks in the wake of the scandal. During that same timeframe, Jenner lost nearly 500,000 followers, and Bieber lost 922,000.

Lizzo

In August, Lizzo was sued by three former backup dancers, accusing her and her team of weight shaming, sexual harassment, and, in one case, false imprisonment. The suit claimed the singer — who is beloved for celebrating body positivity — pressured her dancers to touch nude performers at an Amsterdam nightclub, and also claimed Lizzo called attention to one dancer's weight.

Lizzo hit back at what she called these "false allegations," and claimed her dancers' behavior was "inappropriate and unprofessional."

Nevertheless, after the suit was filed, Lizzo lost 154,000 Instagram followers, Billboard reported at the time.

Doja Cat

In August, Doja Cat hemorrhaged 911,910 Instagram followers in a span of 30 days, but said that the losses made her "feel free."

The fallout occurred after Doja appeared to criticize some of her most vocal fans, including making fun of those who'd nicknamed themselves "kittenz," and confirming to another commenter that she didn't love her fans.

"It feels like I can reconnect with the people who really matter and love me for who i am and not for who i was," Doja wrote on Instagram at the time about the tide of losses.

Sophie Turner

Amid high-profile breakups earlier this year, two celebrities saw their Instagram followings skyrocket, as fans rushed to support women they felt had been wronged.

In September, Joe Jonas filed for divorce from "Game of Thrones" actor Sophie Turner after four years of marriage, which the two later said was a "mutual" decision in a joint Instagram statement requesting privacy amid "speculative narratives."

After many fans felt Turner was being smeared in the press, she subsequently saw a groundswell of support, gaining over 150,000 Instagram followers in a 30-day span, according to BuzzFeed.

Ariana Madix

When it emerged in March that "Vanderpump Rules" star Tom Sandoval had cheated on longtime partner Ariana Madix with another cast member, Rachel Leviss, "Scandoval" exploded onto the pop culture scene.

But Madix's personal devastation came with the side effect of a vastly more prominent and beloved public profile. In June, The Messenger reported that Madix had gained roughly 600,000 Instagram followers — on top of a slew of brand deals, TV and film roles, and a seat at the White House Correspondent's Dinner.

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