Jennifer Lawrence has officially joined Instagram after more than a decade without a public social media presence, launching a verified account under the handle @jlaw on September 9. The Oscar winner has since grown her following to 2.5 million — after gaining nearly 1.5 million in just the first 24 hours — and immediately warned fans that any negativity would send her packing.
After more than ten years of staying off public social media, Jennifer Lawrence has finally joined Instagram — and she’s already setting ground rules.
A Warning Right Out of the Gate
Lawrence launched her account on Wednesday, September 9, and posted her first video the following day. In it, she made her expectations for fans crystal clear.
“So yeah, I am giving it a shot and if anyone says anything negative I will quit immediately, no questions asked,” Lawrence said in the video, filmed while lounging in bed in a white satin robe. “If anyone thinks something mean, I’ll know. I’ll know and I’ll quit.”
She wasn’t finished. Lawrence followed up with a post to her Instagram Story warning fans about the potential consequences of negativity in the comments.
“Please be mindful that any mean or aggressive comments can negatively affect the baby,” she wrote. “It’s me. I’m the baby.”
The Username That Wasn’t Available
Even Hollywood’s biggest stars aren’t immune to a taken username. Lawrence’s bio reveals she couldn’t secure the handle @jenniferlawrence — an account that reportedly belongs to another user entirely unrelated to the actress — so she settled on @jlaw instead, addressing the mix-up with her signature dry humor.
Despite the workaround, the account took off almost instantly, racking up close to 1.5 million followers within its first 24 hours — a number that has since climbed to 2.5 million and continues to grow.
Why Now?
Lawrence has long been open about her discomfort with the spotlight beyond her actual work, previously saying she dislikes press tours because she “loses control” of her own narrative once interviews and headlines start circulating. Her decision to finally join Instagram appears to be at least partly strategic: she has a rumored small cameo in the upcoming Hunger Games prequel film, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, out this November, and she stars in the psychological drama What Happens at Night, expected from Apple next year.
Interestingly, this isn’t Lawrence’s first brush with anonymous social media use. She previously told InStyle in 2018 that she kept a secret profile, saying, “I’m on it, but I’m a voyeur. I watch, I don’t speak.” Other reports have suggested she also ran an anonymous account where she engaged in comment-section debates, in addition to a team-operated Facebook page that has since been shut down.
Who She’s Following
As of this report, Lawrence follows 46 accounts — a mix that spans her professional world and personal life. Among them: Miss Piggy, whom Lawrence is reportedly developing a movie about alongside friend and fellow Oscar winner Emma Stone; Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, her What Happens at Night co-star; and her Hunger Games co-star Josh Hutcherson.
Her list also includes Stephen Colbert, Ziwe, Suki Waterhouse, Chicken Shop Date host Amelia Dimoldenberg, Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Bowen Yang, Matt Rogers, Amy Poehler, Amy Schumer, Dakota Johnson, NPR, and the entire Kardashian-Jenner roster — Kim, Khloé, Kourtney, Kylie, Kendall, and Kris. She also follows her husband, Cooke Maroney.
Fellow actresses were quick to celebrate the news in the comments. Zoey Deutch wrote, “wow finally some good news,” while Beth Behrs offered a pair of fire emojis in support.
