Children’s YouTube star Ms. Rachel is facing intense backlash after her verified Instagram account was shown liking a comment that read “Free America from the Jews.”

The influencer, whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, claims the like was accidental and insisted she was trying to delete the comment when she mistakenly hit a function that registered as a like. She issued a tearful video apology after screenshots of the interaction circulated widely online.

“So I thought I deleted a comment and I accidentally hit ‘like and hide,’” Accurso said, insisting she does not agree with antisemitism and that she routinely deletes hateful comments. She added that she has Jewish family members and friends and said she was “broken” over the incident.

The controversy began after Accurso posted a message reading “Free Palestine, Free Sudan, Free Congo, Free Iran.” A user replied with the antisemitic message, which appeared to receive a like from her account before being removed.

The episode highlights broader concerns about antisemitic comments appearing on her pages and questioned how such content remained visible long enough to be liked. Some users accused her of minimizing the seriousness of the incident and called her explanation inadequate, especially given her massive young audience.

Ms. Rachel, who has millions of followers on Instagram and YouTube and recently collaborated with Elmo, has also drawn scrutiny for her political activism and criticism of Israel.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)