The X account of beloved “Sesame Street” furry monster Elmo was hacked over the weekend, sharing antisemitic and racist posts.
Elmo’s account, which has over 650,000 followers and is known for its uplifting child-friendly posts, was taken over by an “unknown hacker” on Sunday, July 13, Sesame Workshop told NBC News in a statement.
“Elmo’s X account was compromised today by an unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages, including antisemitic and racist posts. We are working to restore full control of the account,” Sunday’s statement read.
The since-deleted posts described President Donald Trump as a “puppet” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called for violence against Jews, according to NBC News.
The account also referenced the case files for the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, alleging that Trump “is in the Epstein files.”
Elmo’s account has not shared any new posts since being hacked on Sunday. The last post dates back to Saturday, July 12, when Elmo posted in celebration of the anniversary of getting his pet dog, Tango.
Elmo’s other social media accounts, including Instagram and Facebook, were seemingly unaffected by the hacking and remain active with their usual programming.
On Monday, July 14, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a nonprofit that fights antisemitism and hate, addressed the posts in a statement shared on X.
“Loved on @sesamestreet and beyond, Elmo has warmed the hearts of millions with his innocence and inquisitive nature. It’s appalling that his official X account, known for spreading kindness, was hacked yesterday solely to spread violent antisemitism,” the organization shared.
The statement continued, “Antisemitism on social media fosters the normalization of anti-Jewish hate online and offline, and contributes to an increasingly threatening environment for Jewish people everywhere.”
