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Time of India
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Elmo's X account hacked; offensive posts on Sesame Street's icon page shock fans
The official X account of popular Sesame street character Elmo was hacked on Sunday resulting in a series of offensive and antisemitic messages The official X account of the popular Sesame Street character Elmo was hacked on July 14. As reported by Reuters, the hack led to dissemination of antisemitic and racist messages from the account. The breach quickly drew widespread condemnation and prompted swift action to secure the compromised account. The offensive posts from the verified account of the popular red puppet included hateful targeting of jews and other minorities. The screenshots of the disturbing posts quickly circulated online before being deleted. Sesame Street's popular character Elmo's X account gets hacked As reported by Reuters, after the hack the posts which appeared on Elmo's X account included slurs against Jews, insults directed at US President Donald Trump, and references to conspiracy theories involving Jeffrey Epstein. The account has more than 6,50,000 followers and it usually shared uplifting and educational content. Sesame Workshop the non-profit organisation behind Sesame Street, confirmed the breach and called the messages 'disgusting'. "Elmo's X account was briefly compromised by an unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages, including antisemitic and racist posts," Sesame Workshop said in a statement. The company also added the account has now been secured. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Live Update: The Strategy Uses By Successful Intraday Trader TradeWise Learn More Undo The incident comes amid growing scrutiny of X's content moderation policies under Elon Musk's ownership. Just days earlier, Musk's AI chatbot Grok faced backlash for generating antisemitic responses. Elon Musk's xAI apologises for what 'happened on July 8 Meanwhile, it has been a tough time for xAI. The Elon Musk-owned company apologised 'for the horrific behaviour that many experienced' for 16 hours, starting on July 8. Through the official Grok account on X (formerly Twitter), the AI company said that 'the update was to provide helpful and truthful responses to users' but it spit out responses which 'contained extremist views.' xAI has also provided an explanation on what went wrong. It said that the incident stemmed from a July code update that activated deprecated instructions, causing Grok to reflect extremist views from X posts for 16 hours, a vulnerability not anticipated despite pre-release testing, as revealed by xAI's investigation. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
NDTV
14-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Elmo's X Account Hacked, Calls Trump 'Puppet' Of Netanyahu
The official X (formerly Twitter) account of Elmo, a popular children's cartoon character, was hacked on Sunday (Jul 13) to post a number of antisemitic posts, including "all Jews should die" and call out US President Donald Trump for not releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files. In a series of posts, the lovable red monster from Sesame Street called Mr Trump a 'puppet' of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu whilst advocating violence against the jews. "Elmo says ALL JEWS SHOULD DIE. F**K JEWS. DONALD TRUMP IS NETANYAHU'S PUPPET BECAUSE HE IS IN THE EPSTEIN FILES. JEWS CONTROL THE WORLD AND NEED TO BE EXTERMINATED," read one of the posts. "RELEASE THE FILES @realDonaldTrump CHILD F****R," another post stated. See the now-deleted posts here: Elmo's official Twitter X account was hacked. — ToonHive (@ToonHive) July 14, 2025 The official Elmo account really just posted this. Likely a hack. — Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) July 13, 2025 The Elmo account, which has over 600,000 followers on X, was restored after the brief hack and all the derogatory posts were deleted. 'Elmo's X account was compromised today by an unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages, including antisemitic and racist posts. We are working to restore full control of the account,' a Sesame Workshop spokesperson told Fox News Digital. Also Read | "Time To Leave": Frustrated By Bengaluru's Traffic, Man Decides To Move To... The Trump administration has come under scrutiny in recent days after it stated that there was no Epstein "client list". During the presidential campaign trail, Mr Trump promised to release the complete Epstein files, including a sensational client list, containing names of high-profile celebrities that may have visited the infamous Epstein island for illegal activities. The fresh interest in the Epstein files comes in the backdrop of X CEO and former ally to Trump, Elon Musk, publicly accusing Mr Trump of being in the files. During a White House press conference, Mr Trump was asked about the Epstein client list but sidestepped the issue. Attorney General Pam Bondi also dismissed the matter. "He committed suicide," she said, while Mr Trump responded to a reporter with, "You still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?"
Japan Today
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Bob Vylan rejects criticism and says it's being targeted for speaking up about Gaza at Glastonbury
Bob Vylan perform on the West Holts Stage, during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset. England, Saturday, June 28, 2025. (Yui Mok/PA via AP) Rap-punk duo Bob Vylan on Tuesday rejected claims of antisemitism over onstage comments at the Glastonbury Festival that triggered a police investigation and sparked criticism from politicians, the BBC and festival organizers. The band said in a statement that it was being 'targeted for speaking up' about the war in Gaza. Police are investigating whether a crime was committed when frontman Bob Vylan led the audience in chants of 'Death to the IDF' — the Israel Defense Forces — during the band's set at the festival in southwest England on Saturday. The British government called the chants 'appalling hate speech' and the BBC said it regretted livestreaming the 'antisemitic sentiments.' U.S. authorities revoked the musicians' visas. Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza has inflamed tensions around the world, triggering pro-Palestinian protests in many capitals and on college campuses. Israel and some supporters have described the protests as antisemitic, while critics say Israel uses such descriptions to silence opponents. In a statement on Instagram, Bob Vylan said: 'We are not for the death of jews, arabs or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine. … A machine that has destroyed much of Gaza.' Alleging that 'we are a distraction from the story,' the duo added: 'We are being targeted for speaking up.' The BBC is under pressure to explain why it did not cut the feed of the performance after the anti-IDF chants. Britain's Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said 'the airing of vile Jew-hatred' by the BBC was a moment of 'national shame.' 'It should trouble all decent people that now, one need only couch their outright incitement to violence and hatred as edgy political commentary, for ordinary people to not only fail to see it for what it is, but also to cheer it, chant it and celebrate it,' he wrote on X. Avon and Somerset Police said it is investigating Bob Vylan's performance, along with that by Irish-language hip-hop trio Kneecap, whose pro-Palestinian stance has also attracted controversy. Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh has been charged under Britain's Terrorism Act with supporting a proscribed organization for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London last year. Since the war began in October 2023 with a Hamas attack on Israel that killed some 1,200 people, Israel has killed more than 56,000 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
RTÉ News
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Bob Vylan say they have been 'targeted for speaking up' at Glastonbury
Punk rap duo Bob Vylan have said they are being "targeted for speaking up" after British police began an investigation into comments made during their set at the Glastonbury Festival. They were criticised after leading chants of "Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)" during a livestreamed performance at the Somerset music festival on Saturday afternoon. In a lengthy statement posted to Instagram, the British duo - Bobby Vylan and Bobbie Vylan - said: "Today, a good many people would have you believe a punk band is the number one threat to world peace. Last week it was a Palestine pressure group, the week before that it was another band." "We are not for the death of jews, arabs or any other race or group of people," they continued. Bob Vylan said they "are for the dismantling of a violent military machine" that "has destroyed much of Gaza". "We, like those in the spotlight before us, are not the story. We are a distraction from the story. And whatever sanctions we receive will be a distraction," they said. "The government doesn't want us to ask why they remain silent in the face of this atrocity? To ask why they aren't doing more to stop the killing? To feed the starving?" They concluded: "We are being targeted for speaking up. We are not the first. We will not be the last. And if you care for the sanctity of human life and freedom of speech, we urge you to speak up too. "Free Palestine." On Monday, British police launched a criminal investigation into Bob Vylan and Belfast rap trio Kneecap's performances at Glastonbury. The police are investigating both groups over public order incidents, the police statement said. Avon and Somerset Police said a criminal investigation was being undertaken after video footage and audio from Bob Vylan and Kneecap's performances at Glastonbury were reviewed. "Following the completion of that assessment process we have decided further inquiries are required and a criminal investigation is now being undertaken. A senior detective has been appointed to lead this investigation. "This has been recorded as a public order incident at this time while our inquiries are at an early stage. The investigation will be evidence-led and will closely consider all appropriate legislation, including relating to hate crimes," police said in a statement. The BBC said on Monday it "should have pulled" the live stream of Bob Vylan's performance that contained, what it called, "utterly unacceptable" and "antisemitic sentiments". Bobby Vylan, one half of the duo, also led the Glastonbury audience in chants that included: "Free, free Palestine." Kneecap's set was not streamed live. An edited version was later uploaded. Bobby Vylan is the stage name of Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, according to reports, while his bandmate drummer uses the alias Bobbie Vylan. The group was formed in Ipswich in 2017 and are known for addressing political issues in their albums including racism, masculinity, and class.
Metro
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Bob Vylan claim they're being 'targeted' after Glastonbury IDF controversy
Punk band Bob Vylan has issued a new statement following the launch of a police investigation into their Glastonbury set. Taking to social media, Bobby and Bobbie Vylan claimed that they are being 'targeted for speaking up' after their comments onstage at Worthy Farm were branded antisemitic. Their full statement issued today said: 'Today, a good many people would have you believe a punk band is the number one threat to world peace. Last week it was a Palestine pressure group, the week before that it was another band. 'We are not for the death of jews, arabs or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine. A machine whose own soldiers were told to use 'unnecessary lethal force' against innocent civilians waiting for aid. 'A machine that has destroyed much of Gaza. 'We, like those in the spotlight before us, are not the story. We are a distraction from the story. And whatever sanctions we receive will be a distraction. 'The government doesn't want us to ask why they remain silent in the face of this atrocity? To ask why they aren't doing more to stop the killing? To feed the starving? 'The more time they talk about Bob Vylan, the less time they spend answering for their criminal inaction. 'We are being targeted for speaking up. We are not the first. We will not be the last. And if you care for the sanctity of human life and freedom of speech, we urge you to speak up too.' They concluded by declaring: 'Free Palestine.' While performing at Glasto this year, Bob Vylan led the crowd in chants of 'Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)', which was broadcast live by the BBC. On Monday, Avon and Somerset Police said it had launched a probe into the performance after reviewing video footage and audio recordings, with a senior detective appointed to lead the investigation. Also under investigation is the set from Irish rap trio Kneecap, who took to the stage directly after Bob Vylan and led chants of 'Free Palestine'. A police spokesman said: 'This has been recorded as a public order incident at this time while our inquiries are at an early stage. 'The investigation will be evidence-led and will closely consider all appropriate legislation, including relating to hate crimes.' Meanwhile, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau has also announced that Bob Vylan's US visas had been revoked due to 'their hateful tirade at Glastonbury'. More Trending They are due to head over to the States in autumn for a month-long tour, supporting Grandson, an American-Canadian singer whose real name is Jordan Edward Benjamin. Taking to his TikTok page on Sunday, Grandson himself expressed solidarity with Bob Vylan, with whom he will release a song on his upcoming album. 'I stand with Bob Vylan,' he declared defiantly. 'They will continue to be on my record, and, should their visa make it possible for them to come to America, I look forward to rocking stages across North America with my bros, Bob Vylan.' This is a breaking news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates. If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. For more stories like this, check our entertainment page. Follow Entertainment on Twitter and Facebook for the latest celeb and entertainment updates. You can now also get articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here. MORE: BBC addresses fury after legendary band's final ever show wasn't filmed at Glastonbury MORE: 80s music icon almost cancelled long-overdue Glastonbury debut over hearing fears MORE: Glastonbury headliner 'had to use cheat sheet on stage to remember his own lyrics'
