We have a Code Red situation – Barack Obama just said that he has a ‘finsta’, otherwise known as a secret Instagram account.
On Wednesday, the former US president took to Twitter for an amusing public service announcement in which he encourages the public to vote-by-mail.
‘Over the past few months, I've learned a thing or two from young people about how to quarantine successfully,’ the 59-year-old says in the video shared by the media company ATTN.
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‘You've taught me how to make a mean sourdough starter. (It looks awful). You showed me the Renegade Challenge — great name by the way — which I've been enjoying on my finsta,’ he notes, referring to his Secret Service code-name, Renegade.
‘So, since you've given me so much lately and so much hope over the years, I want to return the favour and help you make a plan in the upcoming election,’ he says before discussing ways to vote in the upcoming election.
Obama might have been joking about making sourdough and learning how to do the Renegade Challenge, but some Twitter users are working around the clock to find out if the former POTUS really does have a covert Instagram account.
‘Operation Find Obama’s Finsta commences now,’ tweeted one user.
Another joked: ‘If anyone knows barrack obama's finsta handle pls tell me,,, i want to see this man do the renegade. [sic]’
One wrote: ‘(National treasure voice) i am going to find barack obama's finsta. [sic]’
Of course, Obama wouldn't be the only celebrity to have used a ‘finsta’ or secret social media account.
According to Page Six, Prince Harry used a secret Facebook and Instagram account for several years under alias ‘Spike Wells’. However the existence of the account – which was reportedly active from 2008 until 2012 – has never been confirmed .
According to information in Harry and Markle Markle’s soon-to-be-released biography, Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, the couple followed each other on the social media platform after their first date, but they stopped using their accounts when their relationship was made public.
In 2018, Jennifer Lawrence revealed she was on social media, unbeknown to her fans.
‘I’m on it. But I’m a voyeur: I watch, I don’t speak,’ the actress told InStyle.
‘There is always so much backlash. So many people are listening and paying attention, and they have so many opinions about absolutely everything. I really don’t want to welcome that unless it’s absolutely necessary. I don’t want to put myself out there for no reason. Unless I’m promoting something or something really burns my onions, you won’t hear from me.’
Earlier this year, she broke her self-imposed social media ban and went on Twitter for the first time to speak out again racial injustice and in support of the organisation Represent Us.
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Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
