For a while yesterday, Elmo was definitely not tickled. Elmo’s verified X account, which has more than 650,000 followers, was taken over by an unknown hacker on Sunday. In a short burst of posts, the hijacked account shared antisemitic slurs, racist language, and strange comments about former President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, all written in Elmo’s usual third-person style. Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind “Sesame Street,” told ABC News the messages were “disgusting” and do not reflect its values.
The group said it quickly regained control and deleted the posts, adding that the account is now secure. X (formerly Twitter) did not answer ABC’s questions about how the breach happened. The incident renews worries about hate speech and safety on the platform, which has faced advertiser boycotts and criticism since Elon Musk bought the company in 2022. For now, Elmo’s feed has returned to its usual cheerful updates.
Source: ABC News
