FILE - Elmo of the film "Being Elmo" poses for a portrait in the Fender Music Lodge during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on Jan. 24, 2011. (AP Photo/Victoria Will, File)
FILE - Elmo of the film "Being Elmo" poses for a portrait in the Fender Music Lodge during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on Jan. 24, 2011. (AP Photo/Victoria Will, File)
Sesame Workshop regained control of its Elmo account on the X platform Monday after a hacker gained access and posted a string of racist and antisemitic messages.
“Elmo’s X account was compromised by an unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages, including antisemitic and racist posts,” Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit and Elmo, said in a statement Monday.
The account was compromised over the weekend and instead of the usual posts of encouragement and kindness, Elmo's 650,000 followers were given antisemitic threats and a profane reference to the . Those tweets were soon deleted.
X did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Elmo's social media account has lately become a place for mental health awareness. Last year, the red fuzzy monster, eternally 3 1/2, when he asked: "Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” It prompted responses from then-President Joe Biden and Chance the Rapper.
