“Star Trek” actor and leftist activist Wil Wheaton was not amused when Larry David pretended to attack the Elmo puppet during a “Today Show” segment on February 1.
The 51-year-old actor posted a lengthy rant about the incident on Facebook, calling the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” creator a “stupid, self-centered, tone-deaf a**hole” for the stunt.
“Holy s*** it’s even worse than I thought,” Wheaton wrote of the incident. “What the f*** is wrong with that guy? Elmo is, like, the best friend to multiple generations of children. In the Sesame Street universe, ELMO IS A CHILD, who is currently putting mental health and caring for others in the spotlight.”
“And Larry F***ing David … did … that? And thought it was going to be … funny? What? What an a**hole. What a stupid, self-centered, tone-deaf a**hole,” he continued.
The actor went on to describe abuse he experienced at the hands of his father, which he said triggered his feelings about David pretending to beat up Elmo.
“…This appalling, unforgivable, despicable act hits more than one raw nerve for me, and I’m going to say what I wish I’d been able to say when this sort of thing happened to me,” Wheaton wrote.
“Like, read the room, d***head. It isn’t always about you being the center of attention. And understand what’s happening in the moment, f***. Understand that there are larger things in the world than you and your garbage ego,” he went on.
Elmo was appearing on the show right after a tweet from the Muppet character’s official X account went viral. “Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” the post said. Most people responded with messages of despair and hopelessness.
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David was appearing on “The Today Show” to promote the last season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” when he jokingly assaulted the puppet.
OMG: Larry David — whose interview was a few segments away on NBC's 'Today' show — comes out of nowhere & beats up Elmo after his sit-down to talk about the responses to his #emotionalwellbeing post.@CraigMelvin, @SavannahGuthrie, @HodaKotb, @AlRoker, & @Elmo were FLOORED. pic.twitter.com/cW36SHYX6y
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 1, 2024
“Elmo inspired a deeply meaningful and important moment of collective support among disparate people who have been struggling through the traumas of a pandemic, daily mass shootings, the rise of fascism and everything associated with Trump’s violence and cruelty,” Wheaton insisted, adding that the joke was “appalling behavior.”
“A man who would belittle and mock that isn’t much of a man at all. Shame on you, Larry David,” the “Star Trek” alum concluded.