Paul Mescal has quit Instagram.
Paul Mescal
The ‘Normal People’ star has deactivated his Instagram account, as he reportedly felt as though he was getting too invested in responding to the negative comments left by his critics and wanted to save his mental health.
A source close to the actor said: “Paul deactivated his Instagram account because it just became a drain.
"He felt like he was wasting time on there, reading the comments is no good for anyone’s mental health.
“There are more important things going on in his life and he wants to focus his energy into his personal life and his work, he doesn’t need social media for that.
"He’s a private guy and doesn’t feel the need to share everything online.
Paul is said to be concerned that his decision to leave the platform means he won’t be able to collaborate with any big brands on sponsored posts, but the source also said the actor is “enjoying his time away” from the app.
They added to The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column: “But Paul knows it does mean he won’t be able to cash in on lucrative offers for massive brand tie-ins.
"He could have easily commanded six-figure sums for posts on his Instagram account endorsing products, but he just doesn’t feel it is worthwhile at this point.
“He might reactivate his page in the future but he’s enjoying his time away from it.”
Meanwhile, the 25-year-old actor actually admitted in December he needed to “step away” from social media.
He said at the time: “As time has gone by this year I’ve learned a lot in terms of needing to step away from those things.
“Nobody’s going to remember your Instagram following. It’s not going to be written on your tombstone.
“It’s about what the kind of real legacy you want to leave behind is.”