Sesame Street Elmo's X account shared antisemitic posts
"Elmo's X account was compromised by an unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages, including antisemitic and racist posts," a spokesperson said. "We are working to restore full control of the account."
'Release the files'
The antisemitic posts were posted on Elmo's account in quick succession and called for all Jewish people to be "exterminated".They also made derogatory comments about Trump and allegations about his connections to Jeffrey Epstein.The disgraced financier had powerful connections and died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges.One of Elmo's posts called on Trump to "RELEASE THE FILES" following an announcement last week that the US Department of Justice and FBI found no evidence of a list that could implicate high-profile associates of Epstein's.His death is at the centre of a number of conspiracy theories and while he was campaigning to be elected, Trump had promised to publish files about what happened.The posts on Elmo's account come after X's boss, Linda Yaccarino, stepped down as the platform faced criticism for an increase in antisemitic content.Billionaire Elon Musk, who owns X, also had to explain last week after its AI chatbot, Grok, praised Adolf Hitler - the Nazi leader responsible for the murder of millions of Jewish people in the Holocaust.
The UK's Action Fraud said there was a rise in social and email accounts being hacked last year, with more than 35,000 reports. It advised users to set up two-step verification alongside a strong, unique password.Elmo is one of Sesame Street's best-known characters and has been teaching children about kindness since the 1980s. A number of puppets from the long-running US kids' TV show have a presence on social media and Elmo has had an account on X, formerly Twitter, since 2012.In 2024 the he went viral on X for asking "How is everybody doing?"The post, which is still pinned on the profile, had almost 20,000 replies with lots of users sharing their despair about the world.No more posts have been shared on the account since the antisemitic posts were removed.
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
4 minutes ago
- The Independent
Celebrity birthdays for the week of July 27-Aug. 2
Celebrity birthdays for the week of July 27-Aug. 2: July 27: Actor John Pleshette ('Knots Landing') is 83. Actor-director Betty Thomas ('Hill Street Blues') is 78. Singer Maureen McGovern is 76. Actor Roxanne Hart ('The Good Girl,' ″Chicago Hope') is 71. Guitarist Duncan Cameron (Sawyer Brown) is 69. Comedian Carol Leifer is 69. Comedian Bill Engvall is 68. Jazz singer Karrin Allyson is 63. Country singer Stacy Dean Campbell is 58. Singer Juliana Hatfield is 58. Actor Julian McMahon ('Fantastic Four' films, TV's 'Profiler') is 57. Actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau ('Game of Thrones') is 55. Comedian Maya Rudolph is 53. Drummer Abe Cunningham of Deftones is 52. Singer Pete Yorn is 51. Actor Seamus Dever ('Castle') is 49. Actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers ('The Tudors') is 48. Comedian Heidi Gardner ('Saturday Night Live') is 42. Actor Taylor Schilling ('Orange Is the New Black') is 41. Singer Cheyenne Kimball of Gloriana is 35. Actor Alyvia Alyn Lind ('Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors') is 18. July 28: Cartoonist Jim Davis ('Garfield') is 80. Actor Linda Kelsey ('Lou Grant') is 79. Singer Jonathan Edwards is 79. Actor Sally Struthers is 78. Drummer Simon Kirke of Bad Company is 76. Guitarist Steve Morse of Deep Purple is 71. CBS News anchor Scott Pelley is 68. Bassist Marc Perlman of The Jayhawks is 64. Actor Michael Hayden ('Murder One') is 62. Actor Lori Loughlin ('90210,' ″Full House') is 61. Jazz trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis is 60. Actor Elizabeth Berkley ('Showgirls,' ″Saved by the Bell') is 53. Singer Afroman is 51. Drummer Todd Anderson of Heartland is 50. Singer Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach is 49. Actor John David Washington ('BlacKkKlansman') is 41. Actor Jon Michael Hill ('Elementary') is 40. Actor Dustin Milligan ('90210') is 40. Rapper Soulja Boy is 35. July 29: Actor Robert Fuller ('Laramie,' ″Emergency!') is 92. Actor Roz Kelly ('Happy Days') is 83. Keyboardist Neal Doughty of REO Speedwagon is 79. Actor Mike Starr ('Ed,' ″Goodfellas') is 75. Documentary maker Ken Burns is 72. TV personality Tim Gunn ('Project Runway') is 72. Singer-bassist Geddy Lee of Rush is 72. Singer Patti Scialfa of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band is 72. Actor Alexandra Paul ('Baywatch') is 62. Actor Dean Haglund ('The X Files') is 60. Country singer Martina McBride is 59. Drummer Chris Gorman of Belly is 58. Actor Tim Omundson ('Psych') is 56. Actor Ato Essandoh (film's 'Django Unchained,' TV's 'Elementary') is 53. Actor Wil Wheaton ('Star Trek: The Next Generation,' 'Stand By Me') is 53. Actor Stephen Dorff is 52. Singer Wanya Morris of Boyz II Men is 52. Country singer James Otto is 52. Actor Josh Radnor ('How I Met Your Mother') is 51. Musician Danger Mouse is 48. Actor Rachel Miner ('Supernatural') is 45. Actor Allison Mack ('Smallville') is 43. Actor Kaitlyn Black ('Hart of Dixie') is 42. Actor Cait Fairbanks ('The Young and the Restless') is 32. July 30: Blues guitarist Buddy Guy is 89. Singer Paul Anka is 84. Actor William Atherton ('Die Hard' films') is 78. Actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger is 78. Actor Jean Reno ('The Da Vinci Code,' ″Godzilla') is 77. Actor Ken Olin is 71. Actor Delta Burke is 69. Actor Richard Burgi ('Desperate Housewives') is 67. Singer-songwriter Kate Bush is 67. Country singer Neal McCoy is 67. Director Richard Linklater ('Boyhood,' 'Dazed and Confused') is 65. Actor Laurence Fishburne is 64. Actor Lisa Kudrow ('Friends') is 62. Guitarist Dwayne O'Brien of Little Texas is 62. Actor Vivica A. Fox is 61. Actor Terry Crews ('Brooklyn Nine-Nine,' ″Everybody Hates Chris') is 57. Actor Simon Baker ('The Mentalist') is 56. Director Christopher Nolan ('Oppenheimer,' 'Memento') is 55. Actor Tom Green is 54. Drummer Brad Hargreaves of Third Eye Blind is 54. Actor Christine Taylor ('Dodgeball,' 'The Brady Bunch Movie') is 54. Comedian Dean Edwards ('Saturday Night Live') is 52. Actor Hilary Swank is 51. Actor Jaime Pressly ('Mom,' 'My Name Is Earl') is 48. Singer-guitarist Seth Avett of The Avett Brothers is 45. Actor April Bowlby ('Drop Dead Diva,' ″Two and a Half Men') is 45. Actor Yvonne Strahovski ('The Handmaid's Tale") is 43. Actor Martin Starr ('Silicon Valley,' ″Freaks and Geeks') is 43. Actor Gina Rodriguez ('Jane the Virgin') is 41. Actor Joey King (TV's 'Fargo,' 'The Kissing Booth' films) is 26. July 31: Jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell is 94. Actor Susan Flannery ('Bold and the Beautiful') is 86. Actor France Nuyen ('South Pacific,' 'The Joy Luck Club') is 86. Singer Lobo is 82. Actor Geraldine Chaplin is 81. Singer Gary Lewis of Gary Lewis and the Playboys is 80. Actor Lane Davies ('Lois and Clark') is 75. Actor Barry Van Dyke ('Murder 101,' 'Diagnosis Murder') is 74. Actor Alan Autry ('In the Heat of the Night,' 'Grace Under Fire') is 73. Jazz pianist-actor Michael Wolff ('The Naked Brothers Band') is 73. Actor James Read (TV's 'Charmed,' film's 'Legally Blonde') is 72. Actor Michael Biehn ('The Terminator,' ″Aliens') is 69. Singer-guitarist Daniel Ash (Love and Rockets, Bauhaus) is 68. Actor Dirk Blocker ('Brooklyn Nine-Nine') is 68. Drummer Bill Berry (R.E.M.) is 67. Actor Wesley Snipes is 63. Country singer Chad Brock is 62. Musician Fatboy Slim is 62. Guitarist Jim Corr of The Corrs is 61. 'Harry Potter' author J.K. Rowling is 60. Actor Dean Cain ('Lois and Clark') is 59. Actor Jim True-Frost ('American Odyssey,' ″The Wire') is 59. Actor Loren Dean ('Billy Bathgate,' 'Space Cowboys') is 56. Actor Eve Best ('Nurse Jackie') is 54. Actor Annie Parisse ('How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days') is 50. Actor Robert Telfer ('Saved By the Bell') is 48. Country singer Zac Brown of Zac Brown Band is 47. Actor B.J. Novak ('The Office') is 46. Rapper Lil Uzi Vert is 31. Actor Rico Rodriguez ('Modern Family') is 27. Aug. 1: Singer Ramblin' Jack Elliott is 94. Blues musician Robert Cray is 72. Singer Michael Penn is 67. Singer Joe Elliott of Def Leppard is 66. Rapper Chuck D of Public Enemy is 65. Guitarist Suzi Gardner of L7 is 65. Singer Adam Duritz of Counting Crows is 61. Director Sam Mendes ('Skyfall,' 'American Beauty') is 60. Country singer George Ducas is 59. Actor Jennifer Gareis ('The Bold and the Beautiful') is 55. Actor Tempestt Bledsoe ('The Cosby Show') is 52. Actor Jason Momoa ('Aquaman,' 'Game of Thrones') is 46. Singer Ashley Parker Angel (O-Town) is 44. Actor Taylor Fry ('Kirk,' ″Get a Life') is 44. Actor Elijah Kelley (2007′s 'Hairspray') is 39. Actor James Francis Kelly ('Rocky Balboa') is 36. Aug. 2: Singer Kathy Lennon of The Lennon Sisters is 82. Actor Joanna Cassidy is 80. Actor Kathryn Harrold is 75. Actor Butch Patrick ('The Munsters') is 72. Music producer and Garbage drummer Butch Vig is 70. Actor Victoria Jackson ('Saturday Night Live') is 66. Actor Apollonia is 66. Actor Cynthia Stevenson ('Men In Trees,' ″Hope and Gloria') is 63. Actor Mary-Louise Parker is 61. Director-actor Kevin Smith ('Clerks,' ″Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back') is 55. Actor Sam Worthington ('Avatar') is 49. Actor Edward Furlong is 48. 'Today' meteorologist Dylan Dreyer is 44. Actor Marci Miller ('Days of Our Lives') is 40. Singer Charli XCX is 33. Actor Hallie Eisenberg is 33.
Daily Mail
5 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Travis Hunter's wife posts concerning TikTok of her crying after brutal criticism from online trolls
Leanna Lenee, the wife of Jacksonville Jaguars rookie star Travis Hunter, shared a video of her breaking down in tears as she was in the middle of brutal scrutiny from online trolls. Over the past year, Lenee has been at the center of a firestorm of hate from online commenters - especially over perceived slights directed at Hunter - during the 2024 college football season. That season ended with Hunter winning the Heisman Trophy, the second ever won by a player from the University of Colorado, and led to him getting picked second-overall by Jacksonville. A few weeks later, Hunter and Lenee would tie the knot in Tennessee at a glamorous wedding following years of dating. But those years of affection and dating were ignored by trolls who lobbed accusations of gold digging and fame hunting toward Lenee throughout the prior season. Now, Lenee is showing an insight into how that affected her. In a recent video, she posted footage of her from back in December - crying fresh out of the shower. The video, posted to TikTok, had the sound of a Church sermon playing behind it while Lenee spoke into the camera. However, nothing that she said was audible. @leannalenee6 I wish I could go back and hug December me🥹, because oh baby, God was about to change your heart in the most important and beautiful way. I don't even recognize this girl anymore. The amount you can grown and develop in just 6 months of devoting your life to Jesus and getting away from the shackles of the world and social media is truly astounding. I wish the peace I found within Jesus on everyone who reads this. ❤️ Your identity in him matters, not how people choose to perceive you. ♬ original sound - ashley hetherington Instead, context for the footage was given in the caption of the video. 'I wish I could go back and hug December me, because oh baby, God was about to change your heart in the most important and beautiful way,' Lenee wrote. 'I don't even recognize this girl anymore. The amount you can grown [sic] and develop in just 6 months of devoting your life to Jesus and getting away from the shackles of the world and social media is truly astounding. 'I wish the peace I found within Jesus on everyone who reads this. Your identity in him matters, not how people choose to perceive you.' Comments under the video were supportive, including one from WNBA superstar Angel Reese which read, 'so proud of you bb! the storm doesn't last forever!' 2024 was a rocky season for Lenee and Hunter's relationship as the public cast doubts on Lenee's motives for dating the star. This forced Lenee to defend herself in a lengthy eight-minute video posted after Hunter won the Heisman. As Hunter was announced as the winner of the prestigious award, Lenee initially remained sitting while Hunter's mother and Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders stood up. She was accused of being a gold digger before she tied the knot with the ex-Colorado standout She briefly stood and gave Hunter a hug after Sanders appeared to tap her, but promptly sat back down as Hunter continued embracing his group. Fans took issue with what they perceived to be a slight, sparking horrific backlash on social media. It's one of many perceived snubs Lenee had to address. Others included a tense moment after a game against Oklahoma State and some comments she made as Hunter was taking photos with female fans during a pre-Heisman photo shoot . On a Twitch stream after the ceremony, Hunter revealed that Lenee had cried herself to sleep as she continued to be pelted with criticism. 'She's still sleeping, she's slumped,' the Heisman winner shared on a Twitch stream. 'You know when you're hurt but you just cry yourself to sleep and you just be gone? She drunk [sic], like, an OD amount tonight for no reason.' Hunter told people to stop targeting her, specifically calling out 'clickbait' pages, social media accounts, and websites. 'Clickbait pages stop, y'all better stop I'm telling y'all. Something bad is gonna happen to y'all [if you] keep doing that. Y'all better stop that. I ain't playing,' he said.
Daily Mail
5 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Maria Sharapova 'puts LA mansion with bowling alley and stunning views on the market for £18.5MILLION!' As ex-tennis star and British fiance Alexander Gilkes 'set sights on European return'
Former tennis star Maria Sharapova has reportedly put her extravagant Los Angeles mansion up for sale for a whopping £18.5million. The five-time Grand Slam winner is ready to move out of the luxury home - which boasts an indoor bowling alley and gorgeous sea views - after 13 years, a report has claimed. Sharapova is engaged to British businessman Alexander Gilkes, 46, and the couple are understood to be keen on moving to Europe, the Sun has claimed. According to the Wall Street Journal, the minimalist Japanese-inspired home - fit with exposed concrete walls and a large pool - is up for sale for £18.5m. The 38-year-old showed off her extraordinary home in an interview with Architectural Digest in 2019 and hailed the 'indoor-outdoor' feel she was able to achieve in its design. On her striking pool, placed right outside the dining area, she said: 'Usually you have a pool and then a lawn and then a home. But I wanted the pool really close to the home. 'I didn't want that space between, I wanted to see the water from kitchen so getting it a close as possible to the home was a challenge but we managed it.' Elsewhere, Sharapova's pad includes a second-floor balcony which provides stunning views across Los Angeles, with Catalina Island visible in the distance. The former Wimbledon champion rocketed to fame when she beat top seed and defending champion Williams 21 years ago to win her first Grand Slam at just 17. During her storied time on court, Sharapova become the first Russian player to complete the career Grand Slam after wins in Melbourne, New York, Paris and London and the third-youngest woman to triumph at Wimbledon. But her career was marred by a 2016 failed drugs test, which saw Sharapova suspended for two years after she was found to have ingested meldonium, a substance which had been banned at the start of that year, ahead of the Australian Open. Her suspension was later reduced to 15 months after she was found to have taken the drug as per her doctor's advice, and Sharapova returned to competition in April 2017, and won the Tianjin Open seven months later. After struggling with chronic shoulder issues for a number of years, Sharapova announced her retirement in 2020, sharing an emotional goodbye message with her followers that spoke to her deep connection to the game. Maria and Alexander first started dating in 2018 just two years after Alexander - who has deep royal ties - ended his seven year marriage to Meghan Markle's best friend Misha Nonoo. The former tennis star is engaged to British businessman Alexander Gilkes (right) and the pair have one child together The British businessman proposed to the five-time Grand Slam tennis champion in December 2020. He presented her with a dazzling £300,000 diamond engagement ring. The couple welcomed their first child in 2022.
