In terms of popularity, Rachel Accurso is one of the biggest stars on Netflix and YouTube, better known under the guise of children’s entertainer Ms. Rachel. However, having such a huge following has led to the star being slammed online after liking an antisemitic comment on one of her Instagram posts, something she called “horrible” and a “mistake,” when issuing a tearful apology for any offense and upset caused by the error.
Accurso may not be a name that people know if they do not have children, but that has not stopped the entertainer becoming one of the most-watched stars on Netflix, as well as having a following of over 18 million on her YouTube channel. This means that she also has many followers on her other social media accounts, and it took very little time for images highlighting that she liked a comment saying “Free America from the Jews” which was made on the back of a post shared by Accurso that read, “Free Palestine, Free Sudan, Free Congo, Free Iran.”
The screenshots circulated very quickly online, with Accurso immediately responding, saying that she had not intended to like the comment, but believed she had clicked to delete it. She replied:
“Deleted – how horrible – oh wait let me check – I did delete one like that … Ya I believe I deleted that earlier right when I saw it! I hate antisemitism. People are allowed to make mistakes. I am super sorry for any confusion it caused. I delete antisemitism ANY time I see it. I am against all forms of hate including antisemitism against the Jewish people.”
Accurso later posted an apology video, saying, “I’m a human who makes mistakes. I feel like we can’t be human anymore online…Everyone who knows me knows I would never like that.”
In the last few years, there have been several high-profile celebrities that have been caught out when liking posts on social media that turned out to be antisemitic or have a connection to antisemitism in some way. This has also included often controversial opinions shared online about the Israel-Gaza war.
“Ms. Rachel” Has Been Vocal on the Gaza War
While some celebrities have remained completely silent on the controversial subject of the Israel-Gaza war, Accurso has been vocal about the humanitarian crisis particularly facing children in Gaza, as well as Ukraine and Sudan.
She has been heavily involved in raising over $1 million for organizations that help and support children in areas that are being ravaged by wars, but she has also been outspoken in her criticism of Israel on several occasions, which then puts a target on her from those who do not agree with her stance.
Having defended her activism on several occasions in the past, Accurso has been put under scrutiny from several Israel-advocating groups. While these groups have claimed that Accurso has engaged with accounts that harass Jews on multiple occasions, she has denied the accusations. In response to this latest incident, Accurso has been supported by several prominent public figures, such as Ilana Glazer and N*SYNC’s Lance Bass, who have claimed that she has been the victim of people with “their own agenda” and stating that “a literal billion people around the world know” that she has a “clear, human rights-centered heart.”
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
