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Comedian and television host Bassem Youssef reappeared on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday and addressed the reasons behind his brief absence from the platform.

Youssef, known for his sharp wit and social commentary, and, most recently, his popular takes on Israel’s assault on Gaza, shared a detailed statement that clarified the circumstances leading to the deactivation of his account.

Youssef explained that a few days earlier, he had received concerning messages that led him and his team to believe his account had been compromised. These messages raised alarms about a potential hack and the possibility of being doxxed, which could have posed safety risks to him and people he knew. It, therefore, became essential for him to deactivate his account and investigate the problem.

“I only take these issues seriously if it concerns other people, not me,” Youssef said.

The comedian acknowledged that after he took down his account, rumours and speculation about his handles being taken down began spreading rapidly online. He said it was partly due to a lack of clarity in his initial post.

Despite his intentions to stay active elsewhere, Youssef admitted that the situation had consumed a lot of his time and energy. In addition to the potential security issues, he was dealing with personal and health-related challenges that significantly impacted his well-being and that of his family.

“This caused a major burnout to all of us,” Youssef explained. The host said he had to cancel several appearances, including local comedy shows, and temporarily halt promotions for upcoming events, which cost him financially.

The burnout, aggravated by safety concerns, led Youssef to take a much-needed break from all social media platforms — a decision that inadvertently fuelled confusion and speculation among his followers.

“I was disconnected from social media so I didn’t realise the level of chaos that surrounded this, although I only just stopped posting on social media for literally seven days,” he clarified.

Now back on X, Youssef assured his followers that he has resumed posting as usual on all platforms. He also hinted at upcoming content, including a new video set to drop tonight.

“I will still post parts of my interviews plus original videos in Arabic and in English to go deeper behind the information and discussions I have in these interviews. Starting with a video in the next 24 hours. It’s something I have been working on right before the disconnection,” he said.

Youssef expressed gratitude for the support he received during this challenging time and apologised for his absence and lack of responsiveness.

In a follow-up post, Youssef noted that his follower count had seemingly dropped to zero, a technical issue later clarified by someone at X, who explained that the numbers were resetting and would return to normal soon. He urged his followers to check his pinned post for further details on the deactivation decision.