Ms. Rachel is opening up about the personal toll of her pro-Palestine advocacy. In a new Rolling Stone interview, the children’s entertainer, whose real name is Rachel Accurso, revealed she was warned that speaking out about Gaza could cost her partnerships and views. She also recalled moments when the backlash felt overwhelming. “I thought everyone hated me at one point,” she said. “I remember calling friends and family members, Jewish and not Jewish, and just being like, ‘Why do people hate that I don’t want kids to be killed and starved?'”
The Ms. Rachel Palestine backlash began in late 2023 when she started posting about Palestinian children. She was accused of platforming antisemitic voices, ignoring Israeli children, and spreading “Hamas propaganda.” In 2025, the watchdog group StopAntisemitism named her a nominee for “Anti-Semite of the Year” and sent a letter to the Department of Justice asking whether she was being funded by Hamas, claims she denies, stating she only shared statistics from verified sources like the United Nations.
The criticism extended beyond social media. When Accurso tried to rent a playroom for a visit with Rahaf, a three-year-old Gazan girl who lost both legs in an airstrike, multiple businesses turned her away, citing threats and backlash. “I finally found a place that would let us come,” she recalled. “She had the best time. We played and laughed so much. It was beautiful.” Despite the pressure, Accurso has refused to back down. “With Gaza, I couldn’t not speak out,” she said.
