Sesame Workshop is working to regain control of Elmo’s X account after it was hacked over the weekend and used to spread racist and antisemitic messages.
A spokesperson for Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind Sesame Street, confirmed Monday that an unknown hacker had compromised the beloved character’s account. “Elmo’s X account was compromised by an unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages, including antisemitic and racist posts. We are working to restore full control of the account,” the spokesperson said.
Instead of Elmo’s typical posts promoting kindness and mental health, the account’s 650,000 followers were met with hateful content, including antisemitic threats and a vulgar reference to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Although the offensive tweets were quickly removed, a link to a Telegram channel allegedly connected to the hacker still remains on the account.
X has yet to respond to requests for comment.
In recent years, Elmo’s account has become a positive space for messages around emotional well-being. A viral moment last year saw the eternally 3½-year-old Muppet ask followers, “Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” — prompting widespread engagement, including replies from President Joe Biden and Chance the Rapper.
