Is it really actress Ellen Barkin doing the tweeting since yesterday, or a complicit associate? That’s the question underlying an item in the International Business Times headlined “What the F— is Up With Ellen Barkin Twitter F-Bombs?”

Although the account was quickly verified after the actress shared a proof-of-picture, this still smacks of an assistant doing the tweeting for her. Here is the first missive, shared on a self-stated drunken Thursday:

And here are back-to-back blasts aimed at a reporter for The Nation:

One of the ways to assess the authenticity of an alleged celebrity account is to check out who that person is following. At press time, Barkin’s 13 follows included Snoop Dogg, Anderson Cooper and Ricky Gervais. No matter what the deal is here, the forthcoming statement from Barkin’s f*cking flacks should be a keeper.