Sesame Workshop Regains Control of Elmo’s X Account After Hack

Elmo’s usually cheerful corner of the internet was briefly taken over by hate this weekend.

Sesame Workshop, the non-profit behind Sesame Street, confirmed on Monday that Elmo’s official X (formerly Twitter) account had been hacked. The intruder used the platform to post hateful and inappropriate messages, including racist and antisemitic content.

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In a statement, Sesame Workshop said, “Elmo’s X account was compromised by an unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages, including antisemitic and racist posts.”

Typically known for spreading messages of kindness, empathy, and childhood joy, Elmo’s account has more than 650,000 followers. But over the weekend, instead of heartwarming posts, followers were met with disturbing content, including antisemitic threats and an offensive reference to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Those posts were quickly removed after the breach was discovered.

Sesame Workshop has since regained control of the account and is working to ensure stronger security measures moving forward.

While Elmo may be back to spreading sunshine online, the incident serves as a reminder that even the most beloved childhood characters aren’t immune to the darker corners of the internet.