The official X (formerly Twitter) account of beloved Sesame Street character Elmo was hacked over the weekend and used to publish a series of disturbing messages, including racist and antisemitic threats, as well as profane references to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Sesame Workshop, the non-profit organisation behind Sesame Street, confirmed the account had been compromised and stated on Monday that it was working to regain full control.
“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,” a spokesperson said.
More About Elmo
Elmo’s account, followed by more than 650,000 users, typically shares uplifting content, often related to mental health and wellbeing.
Last year, a simple post from the character asking, “Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” went viral, garnering responses from figures such as US President Joe Biden and Chance the Rapper.
In stark contrast, the hacked messages included not only hate speech but also a demand for the US government to release more information about Epstein, referencing long-standing conspiracy theories surrounding his death in custody.
Although the offensive posts were deleted shortly after being posted, the account still links to a Telegram channel associated with the hacker who has claimed responsibility.
As of Monday, X — the platform owned by Elon Musk — had not issued any public comment regarding the incident.