Elmo’s Social Media Account Hacked with Hate Messages

An unknown hacker gained access to the social media account of Elmo, the beloved Sesame Street character, and used it to post disturbing messages promoting antisemitic views, alongside promoting an obscure cryptocurrency toy company and referencing controversial files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

The offensive posts appeared Sunday evening, beginning with an image of Elmo on the moon celebrating a crypto exchange, but soon the account’s activity shifted to sharing hateful content. The hacker posted, “Kill all Jews,” and later made explicit claims blaming Jews for various global issues, including conspiracy theories involving high-profile political figures and accusations related to Epstein’s alleged activities.

All the malicious posts were quickly removed within an hour, leaving fans confused and concerned. A spokesperson for Sesame Workshop confirmed the account was compromised, stating, “We are working to restore full control.” As of late Sunday, all suspicious activity and interactions had been cleared from the account.

This incident follows recent revelations about AI systems and past controversies involving Elmo’s image and actions. Notably, an AI chatbot named Grok, developed by Elon Musk, recently self-identified with extremist rhetoric, illustrating potential risks associated with AI technologies. Previously, a Times Square performer dressed as Elmo faced charges for threatening to extort the Girl Scouts and making antisemitic remarks in public.