John Boyega Lost His Checkmark on Twitter — Why?

Former Star Wars star John Boyega has been the center of online speculation after fans noticed the actor is no longer verified on Twitter. John has been vocal online in his support for the Black Lives Matter movement and about his treatment on the set of the recent Star Wars trilogy, and fans are wondering if the removal of his checkmark is connected with his previous statements. So why did John get unverified on Twitter?

The checkmark is the signifier of a "verified" account on Twitter, suggesting the user is of some notoriety on a national or international level. Celebrities, influencers, and other public figures often have their public social media accounts verified so fans can ensure they're following the actual icon's profile.

While John has had the checkmark attached to his account for some time, Twitter recently removed it. It's currently unclear why the company did this, and John has not commented.

His followers were quick to notice this and demanded answers from the social media site.

"What’s happening rn: John Boyega lost his verification ... suddenly there are articles claiming that 'he’s difficult to work with,'" Twitter user @myvillaneve tweeted. "He spoke out against racism in the industry last year and it seems like they are blacklisting him."

To have a verified account on Twitter, a user has to verify with the company who they are, what makes them a notable person, and have used the account consistently within six months of applying for the verification, according to the official Twitter guidelines.

"In accordance with the Twitter Terms of Service, Twitter may remove the blue verified badge and verified status of a Twitter account at any time and without notice," the official guidelines state. "You may lose your badge if you change your account name (@handle), if your account becomes inactive or incomplete, or if you are no longer in the position you initially were verified for — such as an elected government official who leaves office — and you do not otherwise meet our criteria for verification."

The guidelines also stated that the company can remove the checkmark if the account commits severe offenses against the company's guidelines, such as repeated harassment or bullying. John has not been active on Twitter since November 2020, which may be the reason for the removal.

This verification reversal comes as The Hollywood Reporter reported that the actor suddenly left the set of the Netflix project Rebel Ridge, seemingly without warning. The outlet's sources claim John left without notifying anyone following certain disagreements on set, but his representatives claim he left for "family reasons."

Production for Rebel Ridge has stalled in the meantime, with plans to resume filming late this year with a new lead cast.

“People will form their opinions often rooted from boredom," John's agent Femi Oguns told THR in an email. "As stated John unfortunately left due to family reasons which in truth is none of anyone’s business except his own. John and Netflix have a wonderful relation which will continue to grow for years to come, whether that be through his acting or through [John’s production company] UpperRoom.”