Larry David defends himself on attacking Elmo, says he would 'do it again' as he 'couldn't take it'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Larry David has found himself in the middle of a bizarre controversy after he attacked the beloved 'Sesame Street' character Elmo during a live appearance on the 'Today' show.

The 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' star addressed the altercation on 'Late Night with Seth Meyers' on Thursday, February 1. The attack on the Sesame Street staple took place earlier in the day, according to People.

What led to Larry David's attack on Elmo?

The altercation occurred while Elmo was discussing the importance of mental health on national television and Larry who was waiting to be interviewed abruptly interrupted the iconic red muppet's segment, grabbing Elmo's head and throwing a punch.

"Somebody had to do it!" the comedian said.

The 76-year-old then told Elmo, he was "really sorry" and the muppet accepted his apology. However, David was slammed online for the attack after the clip went viral.

David Larry reacts to criticism following the attack on Elmo

During the interview with Seth Meyers, Larry was hesitant to talk about the attack on Elmo. "I don't think I want to talk about it," he said.

However, Meyers persisted, "The clip is going around online, Larry. You can't hid from this, Larry. Elmo, some might say, is loved by all."

The comedian then opened up on the altercation as he admitted, "Yeah, yeah. I did it."

Mimicking Elmo's high-pitched voice, David explained, "Elmo was, he was going on about mental health and I had to listen to every word."

"And I was going, 'Oh my God, oh my God, I don't think I can take another second of this!' And so I got off my chair and I approached him and I throttled him!," he added. "I couldn't take it!" he said of his unusual outburst.

The television producer further appeared to take back his previous apology as he told Meyers, "And you know what? I would do it again!"

Elmo's viral tweet on mental health 

Elmo appeared on the 'Today' show to discuss the importance of mental health had gone viral for a tweet before the attack.

"How is everybody doing?," the muppet simply asked people in the tweet.

The mental health check triggered a massive online trauma dump with more than 204 million respondents.

"It’s important to remember that we all have a lot of feelings and it’s okay," the muppet told Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie, and Craig Melvin on 'Today.'

"It’s good to know what feeling you’re having and if you’re feeling sad or worried or confused, that you can talk to someone that you love or trust. And it’s good to talk about it," Elmo added.