Actor Valerie Bertinelli impersonated Elon Musk on Twitter this weekend and posted and retweeted in support of Democratic candidates under the guise of talking about his new proposed verification system. Bertinelli changed his name on Saturday, shortly after launching the billionaire’s controversial payment-verification system. Which requires users to spend $7.99 per month to get the blue checkmark.
Critics have expressed concern that the plan could encourage the spread of misinformation by paving the way for impersonators acting as notable politicians, journalists and celebrities. Several celebrities, including Shonda Rhimes and Sara Bareilles, have expressed plans to leave Twitter since Musk took over citing concerns with its leadership.
The blue checkmark simply means that your identity has been verified. Bertinelli wrote on Twitter after changing his name. It will be harder for scammers to impersonate you. That no longer applies extending well wishes over the next several hours, the actor posted and retweeted dozens of tweets in support of Democratic candidates ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections.
As Elon Musk, he posted hashtags such as Vote Blue To Protect Your Rights and shared tweets supporting gubernatorial candidates Gretchen Whitmore in Michigan and Beto O’Rourke in Texas.
The actress who recently came out after Matthew Perry claimed in his memoir that the two kissed while her then-husband Eddie Van Halen was drunk next to her started trending on Twitter on Sunday.