Wil Wheaton has blasted Larry David for his recent on-air attack on Elmo, calling the incident an “appalling, unforgivable, despicable act.”
In a Facebook post, Wheaton shared his visceral reaction to the Curb Your Enthusiasm creator and star’s actions and revealed that he was abused in a similar manner while growing up.
“What the fuck is wrong with that guy?” Wheaton wrote. “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.”
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Wheaton went on to describe David as a “stupid, self-centered, tone deaf asshole” who “mocks and belittles people who are vulnerable and sensitive, and enjoys being cruel, because he feels untouchable.”
He also went scorched earth on David for barging in on Elmo’s segment, claiming that David was trying to “manufacture a viral moment where everyone gets to see what an asshole you are, so they’ll tune in and watch you portray an asshole in the last season of your show that celebrates how great it is to be an asshole without ever experiencing the consequences of being an asshole?”
For context, Wheaton opened up about the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father: “When I was growing up, my dad would grab me by the shoulders and shake me while he screamed in my face. He choked me more than once. He was always out of control, always in a furious rage, and always terrifying.”
He continued, “I’m a 51-year-old man and my heart is pounding right now, recalling how I felt when I was a little boy who loved Grover the way today’s kids love Elmo. So this appalling, unforgivable, despicable act hits more than one raw nerve for me.”
Read Wheaton’s full missive below.
For those who missed it, David interrupted a live segment on NBC’s TODAY last week to grab Elmo’s face and pummel it. The attack appeared to catch hosts Craig Melvin, Savannah Guthrie, and Hoda Kotb completely off guard. During David’s actual segment, Kotb and Guthrie pushed him to stammer out an apology.
The 12th and final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm premiered this past Sunday, and you can read our review of the first episode. Meanwhile, fans who weren’t put off by David’s actions can attend his upcoming “A Conversation with Larry David” live event in Washington, DC, and Boston this spring. Grab tickets here.
@consequence I don’t think I can ever forgive Larry David for this. #larrydavid #curbyourenthusiasm #elmo #sesamestreet
So I heard about Larry David assaulting Elmo on life television, but didn’t watch it until now, because I knew it would…
Posted by Wil Wheaton on Saturday, February 3, 2024
