All the Controversial Celebrities Named to Zohran Mamdani’s Inaugural Committee

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

From outspoken children’s YouTube star Ms. Rachel to activist-celebrities like Cynthia Nixon, Katia Reguero Lindor and The Kid Mero, New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s inaugural committee includes a mix of high-profile entertainers whose politics and statements have drawn intense public scrutiny.

The committee, which is not a governing body, is largely advisory and will help plan and offer input on the speakers, performers, and themes we might see on inauguration day.

Mamdani’s picks have independently faced online backlash, particularly from groups like the Anti-Defamation League and StopAntisemitism, concerned by their staunch anti-Israel stances.

In response to Ms. Rachel’s appointment, StopAntisemitism wrote on X: “For those Jewish New Yorkers considering relocating, StopAntisemitism is happy to put them in touch with realtors eager to help in Florida, Texas and other locations where they will be safe.”

So, who are the celebrities on Mamdani’s inaugural committee, and what’s their deal?

Ms. Rachel

While Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Griffin-Accurso, is generally known for her content of how-tos on topics like teaching children how to sound out letters and potty training, she also uses her platform to advocate for human rights and as a political arena.

Her focus has been on advocating for children in Gaza.

She wore a custom gown and cape embroidered with artwork made by children in Gaza for November’s Glamour Women of the Year Awards 2025.

In April, StopAntisemitism called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate her, claiming she spread pro-Hamas propaganda to her impressionable young followers and their families. She was also a finalist for StopAntisemitism’s “Anti-Semite of the Year” for 2025.

Cynthia Nixon

Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon unsuccessfully challenged Andrew Cuomo in the 2018 New York gubernatorial primary on a platform that criticized corporate influence in politics.

While she lit a Hannukah Menorah and condemned the horrific attack on Jews at Bondi Beach in Australia, Nixon has been openly critical of the Israeli government, earning her backlash. In 2023, she went on a two-day hunger strike to protest the Israel-Hamas War.

Katia Reguero Lindor

Wife to New York Mets’ star shortstop Francisco Lindor and host of The Unaparent Podcast, Reguero Lindor is a self-described “breastfeeding + home birth + social justice advocate.”

While not controversial herself, she has made statements that have led many social media users to brand her a hypocrite.

“Supporting politicians who fight for immigrants, artists, workers, and everyone who deserves a dignified life – isn’t against my interests, even if I’m in a different economic position,” she wrote Wednesday in a now-deleted Instagram story. “P.S. Your enemies aren’t the immigrants. They’re the one-percenters hoarding the wealth while leaving you without basic needs.” Her husband’s salary is an estimated $34.1 million annually.

The Kid Mero

Known for his sharp and often profanity-laced comedy, from celebrity roasts to parodies and satirization of growing up in poverty, The Kid Mero has had his fair share of online beef.

Mero’s former co-host, media personality Desus Nice, has publicly pushed back at Mero’s account on how the comedic duo split. While Mero blamed issues over creative control. Nice responded with a meme of a man hiding under a large cap, implying Mero was being dishonest.