When Elmo Went Off the Rails: Antisemitism Controversy Shakes Sesame Street

Sesame Workshop issued a statement confirming the breach: “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.”

By Monday morning, all offensive posts had been deleted, and no new updates had appeared on the account. The organization has not yet disclosed how the breach occurred, but the UK’s Action Fraud noted a rise in social media account hacks, advising users to enable two-step verification and use strong, unique passwords.

The incident, which clashed starkly with Elmo’s usual messages of kindness and inclusion, prompted swift reactions across social media. “I’m forever scarred … by @elmo,” wrote Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), while Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) said, “See what happens when you defund PBS @elmo,” referencing recent debates over federal funding for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), which has aired *Sesame Street* for over 50 years.

Others, like HuffPost deputy editor Philip Lewis, remarked, “I thought we all agreed @elmo is off limits.

Elmo, a character known for his cheerful demeanor and third-person speech since his debut on *Sesame Street* in 1980, has long been a symbol of kindness, with his X account typically sharing wholesome content. The account, active since 2012, went viral in 2024 for a post asking, “How is everybody doing?” which garnered nearly 20,000 replies.

As *Sesame Street* prepares to transition to Netflix for its 56th season later in 2025, following the end of its HBO partnership, Sesame Workshop is now focused on restoring the account’s integrity and protecting Elmo’s message of love and inclusion.