The Sad Reason Vanderpump Rules' Ariana Madix Just Lost Thousands Of Followers

Despite the backlash, Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix still boasts 1.3 million followers on Instagram. In fact, more and more influencers say that current events have dictated the expectation that they use their platforms to take a stand.

"Given everything that has happened this year in our country and given that this election is the most important of our lifetime, I feel that being silent is no longer an option," says Julia Dzafic, founder of the lifestyle blog Lemon Stripes (via BuzzFeed News). Food blogger and the influencer behind Brunch Boys Jeremy Jacobowitz adds, "The account that just eats cake every day and shows ignorance to the real world may not lose followers, but they will lose 'influence.'"

That being said, political posts do risk alienating potentially half of an influencer's audience depending on the target demographic. According to a recent survey of social media users by CivicScience, 61 percent say they have blocked, unfriended, or unfollowed someone due to that person's political views. Yet some influencers see speaking up as a matter of civic duty — and a chance well worth taking. "If you have a voice that people listen to," Dzafic says, "it is your responsibility to use it."