NEW YORK, NY — The woman behind YouTube's most popular and beloved educational content for children found herself in hot water, as Ms. Rachel issued a public apology for accidentally spray-painting "GO AWAY JEWS" on a synagogue.
Ms. Rachel—whose real name is Rachel Accurso—is one of the most influential figures in children’s media, with tens of millions of followers across YouTube and Netflix and a reputation built on trust from parents and caregivers.
The internet personality was embroiled in controversy after witnesses reported seeing her run angrily up to a local synagogue and spray-paint the antisemitic message on the wall of the building, an act she later said was completely unintentional.
"It was never my intent to do something hateful," Ms. Rachel said in a tearful video posted to social media. "When I spray-painted that antisemitic message on that synagogue, it was totally by accident."
According to the children's content creator, the apparent act of antisemitic vandalism was all a big misunderstanding.
"It never crossed my mind that this could be taken in a negative way by anyone," she continued as she wept. "I would never want the fact that I spray-painted ‘GO AWAY JEWS' on a synagogue to make Jewish people think I want them to go away. That's not at all what I meant. I love Jewish people and everything they do to exert total and nefarious control over geopolitical affairs and industries. If I offended anyone by doing something really, really offensive, then I'm so sorry. Yay, Jews!"
This was after Ms. Rachel issued a tearful public apology after her Instagram account appeared to like a comment that read, “Free America from the Jews.”
The incident was not Ms. Rachel’s first brush with controversy related to this subject. Earlier this year, the U.S.-based advocacy group StopAntisemitism included her on a list of nominees for its “Antisemite of the Year” designation.
At publishing time, Ms. Rachel issued a statement clarifying that her new YouTube video titled "The Holocaust Never Happened And Israel Is Evil" should not be taken as a derogatory commentary against Jews.
