LOS ANGELES, May 9 — Elmo may love hugs, but he definitely didn’t love going viral for a fake layoff.
A recent LinkedIn post claiming the beloved red Muppet was booted from Sesame Street due to US federal budget cuts has sent the internet into a tizzy, entertainment news outlet Variety reported yesterday.
The post, written in classic Elmo-speak, declared: “Unfortunately Elmo was recently laid off because of the federal budget cuts. Elmo worked at Sesame Street for 45 years. Elmo is sad.”
The “layoff notice” also included this touching farewell.
“Elmo is going to miss his friends Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Ernie, Bert, Abby, Grover, Count and so many more. Elmo is looking for his next opportunity. Elmo LOVES giving hugs.”
It ended with a political plea: “Please urge your local congress person to save Public Media.”
A screenshot of the post, shared on X, has already racked up over two million views.
But no need to panic – Elmo’s gig is safe.
Elmo a commie? ‘No’ and ‘no’
Sesame Workshop, the non-profit behind Sesame Street, told Variety that the post wasn’t real and didn’t come from any official account.
The LinkedIn profile that posted it – under the name “Elmo from Sesame Street” – is no longer accessible.
Still, the story’s gone viral just as US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to strip funding from PBS and NPR, accusing them of “biased and partisan news coverage.”
PBS president Paula Kerger didn’t mince words, calling the order “blatantly unlawful” and a threat to their decades-long mission of public education.
In March, public media even got dragged into US politics when California representative Robert Garcia joked during a hearing, “Is Elmo now, or has he ever been, a member of the Communist Party of the United States?”
Kerger, laughing, replied, “No,” and added, “Well, he is a puppet, but no.”
Garcia also grilled her on whether Cookie Monster was “silencing pro-cookie voters,” to which she replied, “Cookies are sometimes food.”
Despite the laughs, Sesame Workshop stressed that PBS has its support.
“We remain firmly in support of the vital public investment that allows PBS to continue this important work.”
So, long story short: Elmo wasn’t sacked, but he is still very good at hugs.
