Elmo, a red Muppet from Sesame Street, was recently embroiled in a controversy after his official X (formerly Twitter) account was hacked. The account posted disturbing content that included antisemitic remarks and sobering conspiracy theories one being a violent call to arms-- to the concern of fans and the general public.
The posts were quickly removed, and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, confirmed that the account was hacked. The organization condemned the hateful content posted and clearly stated they did not promote any of the posts. They stated they are investigating the incident, and are taking measures to enhance security for the account.
Elmo is a character that is primarily known for joyfulness and kindness to children. This is why many were so surprised and disturbed by the aftermath of the hacking incident. This has been a noticeable trend within social media, and people have taken notice of this as it becomes a more common practice, particularly for family centered brands.
While the investigation is ongoing, Sesame Workshop is asking fans to ignore the posts from the hacked account and reassure fans that measures are being taken to ensure that it does not happen again.
The official Elmo X account was hacked, posting calls to kill Jews, demanding the release of the Epstein files, and dubbing Trump a “child f*cker.”
— AF Post (@AFpost) July 14, 2025
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Sesame Street Expands Reach with New Netflix Deal
Although it is not without its controversies, Sesame Street is poised to launch new initiatives to serve more families than before. Earlier in 2022, Sesame Workshop announced a major deal with Netflix. Beginning sometime in late 2025, the streaming service will have Sesame Street content, including the past episodes, the soon-to-be-released Season 56, and beloved spinoffs such as Elmo's World and Cookie Monster's Foodie Truck.
While these changes may create new challenges for the long-running program to reach families and children, they hope these changes may help Sesame Street be able to reach a wider audience, especially with families increasingly looking to streaming platforms for learning and entertainment.
In addition, PBS Kids will not be lost; they will still continue to air Sesame Street, meaning it will remain free for many families who only use public television for programming.
The Netflix deal signals a new chapter for the beloved children’s show, which has been educating and entertaining kids for over 50 years, and is unwavering by recent events, such as its hack.
Sesame Workshop has reassured families it is more committed than ever to creating child-friendly content, while taking digital focused and safety, seriously, and it will continue to build on the trust of families, both on-screen and online.
