Wil Wheaton blasts Larry David for attacking Elmo on air, citing his own abusive childhood: 'Appalling'

For many viewers, Larry David's recent stunt on the Today show — in which he throttled the lovable muppet Elmo and then delivered a half-hearted apology — was a silly viral moment orchestrated by a maestro of misanthropic comedy.

But that's not how Wil Wheaton took it.

In a heated Facebook post, the Star Trek: The Next Generation and Stand by Me actor blasted David's antics and said they brought up traumatic memories of his abusive childhood.

"What a stupid, self-centered, tone deaf a--hole," Wheaton wrote of the Curb Your Enthusiasm star. He added, "All the time, 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. 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."

Calling David's behavior "appalling," "unforgivable," and "despicable," Wheaton said it hit "more than one raw nerve for me, and I'm going to say what I wish I'd been able to say when this sort of thing happened to me."

Representatives for David didn't immediately respond to EW's request for comment Thursday. A rep for Wheaton declined to comment further.

In his Facebook post, Wheaton went on to rip David's on-air apology as "obviously insincere," and to ask what he was thinking: "You couldn't stand that a puppet brought people together in a meaningful way that you can't? You couldn't stand that your appearance on national television to promote your wildly successful series was delayed for a few seconds while the adults talked about mental health?"

Wheaton was referring to Elmo's other recent viral moment, in which the Sesame Street star asked his social media followers how they were doing and the post unexpectedly blew up, inspiring a conversation about mental health. "And s---ty idiot Larry David couldn't leave it alone, for some reason," Wheaton wrote. "He had to indirectly tell everyone who opened their hearts to a Muppet that they were stupid, and he thought it was a good joke to physically attack and choke this character who is beloved by children and adults alike. You know what that tells impressionable young people about sharing their feelings?"

Wheaton also said the stunt could have scarred young viewers. "You know who is watching the Today show with their parents? Kids who also watch Sesame Street," Wheaton said. "Elmo is an avatar for children all over the world. Children who are too small to understand Elmo is a puppet will know that a man attacked someone they love for no reason, and that will frighten and confuse them."

As far as Wheaton is concerned, Elmo and David are polar opposites. "Elmo and the Muppets teach and model to children all over the world that kindness and empathy aren't weak or stupid or any of the things people like Larry David and my dad think they are," he wrote, whereas David "strikes me as a person who mocks and belittles people who are vulnerable and sensitive, and enjoys being cruel, because he feels untouchable. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's who I see whenever I can't find the remote and he's on my television."

Related content:

• Larry David issues apology after attacking Elmo on Today: 'Somebody had to do it'
• Elmo asks how everyone's doing on social media, the internet responds honestly
• Wil Wheaton says abusive childhood inspired his Stand by Me performance