Twitter tributes to Liz Taylor

WASHINGTON—Celebrities took to Twitter on Wednesday along with other users of the online service to pay 140-character tributes to Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor, who died at age 79.

“RIP Elizabeth Taylor. She was such an incredible woman inside and out and an inspiration to me!” American supermodel Cindy Crawford said on her Twitter feed @CindyCrawford.

Former basketball star Earvin “Magic” Johnson, who is HIV positive, thanked Taylor for her years of work to combat AIDS.

“Elizabeth, thank you for all your help in the battle for HIV and AIDS. You will be missed by the world,” Johnson said at @MagicJohnson.

Long-time CNN talk show host Larry King also highlighted Taylor’s work against AIDS and needed two tweets to pay tribute to Taylor on his feed @kingsthings.

“Elizabeth Taylor was a great friend, a great star and one gutsy woman. She was so special. You won’t see the likes of her again,” King said.

“If Elizabeth took on a battle, she took it on 100%. She was first major celeb in the AIDS battle and she made it her cause,” King added.

British actor Stephen Fry, who has more than 2.37 million Twitter followers for @stephenfry, told them: “RIP Dame Elizabeth Taylor, surely the last of a breed…”

US actress Alyssa Milano, who tweets at @Alyssa_Milano, said “Rest in peace, Elizabeth Taylor. You are a prism & will live on through all the good you did while you were with us.”

Model Paris Hilton, writing at @ParisHilton, said “So sad to hear about Elizabeth Taylor. She was so beautiful, such an inspiration and an icon.”

Music stars Kylie Minogue and Mariah Carey also paid tribute to Taylor as did comedians Steve Martin and Joan Rivers.

“RIP Dame Elizabeth Taylor…..Like a pure white diamond you’ll shine on and on and on,” Minogue tweeted at @kylieminogue.

“R.I.P. Elizabeth Taylor an incomparable legend who will live forever,” Carey said at @MariahCarey.

Martin, writing at @SteveMartinToGo, said “I met Elizabeth Taylor several times. She was witty and self-deprecating, which I found surprising and delightful. She loved to laugh.”

Rivers, on her Twitter feed @Joan_Rivers, said “Sad to hear of Elizabeth Taylor’s death. She was the 1st major celebrity to join me in the fight against AIDS when it wasn’t a popular cause.”

From the world of sports, tennis star Serena Williams also paid tribute to Taylor at @serenawilliams.

“Elizabeth Taylor. Grace style, elegance, legend. You had Beauty the world has ever seen. No words can describe the loss of you.”

Thousands of ordinary Twitter users also posted news about Taylor’s death and paid tributes of their own and “RIP Elizabeth Taylor” was a trending topic on the service.