Rachel Accurso, the famous children’s entertainer known as Ms. Rachel, came under fire after a screenshot surfaced online showing her Instagram account liking the comment “Free America from the Jews.”
The anti-Semitic comment appeared below a now-deleted post Akurso shared that read, “Free Palestine, Free Sudan, Free Congo, Free Iran.”
A screenshot of Accurso liking the comment prompted condemnation from Jewish advocacy groups and other supporters of Rachel. Rachel has over 18 million subscribers on YouTube, and her early childhood education program was the 9th most-watched show on Netflix in the second half of 2025.
Accurso posted a screenshot warning his followers that he had liked an anti-Semitic comment, to which Accurso replied, “Deleted – how awful – oh wait, let me check – I deleted that… oh, I think I deleted it right when I saw it! I hate anti-Semitism.” In her caption, Accurso said she had intended to delete the comment, but instead tapped the “like” button. “People are allowed to make mistakes,” she wrote. “We are very sorry for the confusion. Whenever we see anti-Semitism, we will remove it. I stand against all forms of hatred, including anti-Semitism, against Jews.”
Accurso also posted a video emotionally apologizing for the gaffe, saying, “I accidentally clicked the ‘like’ button when I thought I had deleted the comment.”
“I’m a human who makes mistakes,” Accurso added through tears. “I feel like I can’t be human online anymore. … Anyone who knows me knows I never want that.”
In a statement to Variety, Acaso said: “Yesterday, I accidentally liked a hateful comment on my social media while trying to delete it. I have always been clear about this: I do not support language that targets or hurts the Jewish community or any other community. “I do not support anti-Semitism or hatred of any kind. Everything I do is rooted in kindness, inclusiveness, and concern for all humanity. Those values guide me every day, and I remain firmly committed to them.”
Accurso is a child rights activist who has raised more than $1 million for organizations that help children in conflict zones such as Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan. She has been particularly vocal about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and is a strong critic of Israel. In one of her videos, she sang with a three-year-old double amputee from Gaza. And this year, she is curating an exhibition of Palestinian children’s artwork, with all proceeds going to child artists. She wrote on Instagram that she would not work with “those who are not speaking up about Gaza.”
Accurso has frequently defended her activism against online backlash, but her online behavior has come under scrutiny from various advocacy groups. Honest Reporting, a pro-Israel media watchdog, released a report on Thursday that said Accurso’s actions “fit into a broader pattern of anti-Semitic misinformation shared with her millions of followers.”
According to the report, “We’ve all had the experience of accidentally liking a post while scrolling through social media. But when that “accident” is paired with blatantly anti-Semitic posts and multiple blatantly anti-Semitic comments, it can no longer be dismissed as a clunky thumb on a small mobile screen. ”
The report includes screenshots that appear to show Accurso in comments on an Instagram account that frequently praises Hamas and harasses Jews. The post, allegedly written under Accurso’s apology video, claimed “They” — meaning the Jews — “left the (antisemitic) comment themselves,” and Accurso reportedly responded, “ooooooooooohhhhh.”
Several celebrities supported Accurso in the comments section below her apology video. “Broad City” star Ilana Glazer wrote, “Literally billions of people around the world know your clear, loving, human rights-centered heart.” NSYNC singer Lance Bass added, “There’s zero people who think this is intentional. The pretenders clearly have their own agenda.”
