Television personality Chrissy Teigen, 39, has weighed in on the controversial TikTok ban in the United States by suggesting major changes to all social media platforms.
On Jan. 19, Teigen shared videos on her Instagram Stories addressing TikTok’s temporary hiatus. She spoke to her 41.9 million followers from a bed covered by what appeared to be a bath towel.
“I think the government, or some kind of ethics committee, somebody, should shut off social media between 6 pm and 6 am,” Teigen stated.
The former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue model continued, “Leave it all up. Everyone gets to do anything they want, but only between 6 am and 6 pm Shut it off. Done.”
Additionally, Teigen insisted a daily 12-hour social media shutdown would be “doable.” The Cravings by Chrissy brand founder also praised a pre-social media world by saying, “Guys, life was great. Life was awesome before this.”
Teigen’s suggestion about online social networking garnered reactions on the internet. Commenters spoke their minds about the subject under the Daily Mail’s article about her Instagram Stories.
“No thank you. Not all of us have your convenient hours. We can figure it out for ourselves but nothing is stopping you, Chrissy, from doing as you suggested, but the rest of us can do what works for us,” one person expressed.
A second commenter posted, “Imagine having four very young children, a husband who loves you, more money than you could ever spend, your health, and she’s crying about social media.” Another Teigen critic exclaimed, “She’s absolutely insufferable…she’s addicted to social media, always seeking validation and attention from complete strangers…”
Yet, a fourth individual focused on Teigen’s appearance in the clips, writing, “Why is she recording herself in a bath towel? More proof that social media has gone crazy.” Someone replied, “A bath towel and full makeup. Don’t buy it.”
Teigen did get some backing on the website. For instance, one comment read, “I get what she’s saying in theory that people spend way too much time on their phones and on social media specifically and I agree.”
In 2020, during his first term as president, Donald Trump pushed for TikTok to be banned nationwide over national security concerns because the app is owned by the China-based ByteDance.
Trump’s successor, President Joe Biden, signed a bipartisan bill in 2024 that mandated ByteDance sell TikTok to an American owner or face banishment from American app stores.
On Jan. 17, 2025, the United States Supreme Court ruled the TikTok-banning law was constitutional. Two days later, the app went offline for about 12 hours before returning.
Despite his original opposition to TikTok being available in America, Trump received credit for supposedly saving the app from permanently going dark.
“We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive,” the official TikTok Policy account on X tweeted.
The company added, “It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”
On Jan. 18, Trump told NBC News that he is considering giving TikTok a 90-day reprieve once he returns to office. The longtime host of “The Apprentice” reality game show was inaugurated for his second term as president at noon Monday.
“The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done because it’s appropriate. You know, it’s appropriate. We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big situation,” Trump said to “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker.
Teigen has been an outspoken critic of Trump and his MAGA movement. The “Chrissy’s Court” star took issue with the Republican Party leader claiming credit for the revival of TikTok in the United States.
Before TikTok’s short pause, Teigen predicted Trump supporters would praise him as the app’s savior. The mother of four’s Instagram Story message included her saying, “[TikTok is] on a hiatus for now, and it’s going to come back.”
She continued, “It’s gonna come back under Trump’s leadership, so every young person is all of a sudden going to be like, ‘Oh my god, I’m so grateful it’s back. He brought it back, he brought back free speech.’ It gets to be claimed by him as this amazing thing he did for people, and you’re all going to fall right into it.”
Teigen and her husband, Grammy Award-winning R&B singer John Legend, endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election that Trump won. Legend, 46, performed at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Both Teigen and Legend used social media to promote Harris and Democratic policies such as a $6,000 child tax credit and protecting abortion rights. They did face significant backlash from conservatives which caused the pair to limit commenting on certain Instagram posts.
“Politics affects all of our lives and we’re all citizens. We all have a stake in what happens in this country. We pay taxes here. Our kids are growing up here, going to schools here,” Legend explained to “CBS Mornings” host Tony Dokoupil in Aug. 2024.
Legend and Teigen got engaged in December 2011 before they married in September 2013. Their daughter, Luna Simone, was born in April 2016. A son named Miles Theodore arrived in May 2018.
Teigen gave birth to a second daughter, Esti Maxine, in January 2023. Her first three children were conceived via in vitro fertilization. A second son, Wren Alexander, was born in June 2023 via a surrogate. The family also suffered the loss of an unborn baby around 20 weeks into the pregnancy in 2020.
