A follower count is the number of accounts subscribed to a social media profile, treated online as a public scoreboard of status and loyalty. Changes in who follows whom are tracked by fans like market data. In this story, the D’Amelios’ changing Instagram follows were read as evidence in the money rumor saga, even though a follow — or an unfollow — proves nothing about a family’s finances or feelings.
(Priyanka Pruthi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0))
Mentioned in: Six Years of Silence, One Clear Answer: What the D’Amelio Rumor Cycle Says About Fame and Family Money