Voice of Elmo Leaves Sesame Street Amid Allegations of Sex With Underage Boy
LatestKevin Clash, the puppeteer who’s been voicing Sesame Street‘s immensely popular Elmo character for nearly 27 years, has taken a leave of absence from the Sesame Workshop after allegations surfaced that he had sex with a 16-year-old boy. While Clash admits that he did have a relationship with the accuser, he says, “It was between two consenting adults and I am deeply saddened that he is trying to make it into something it was not.” In the meantime, how will Sesame Street proceed without its biggest star?
According to a statement released on its website today, Sesame Workshop said that in June 2012 they were approached by a 23-year-old man who said he began a relationship with the 52-year-old Clash when he was 16.
We took the allegation very seriously and took immediate action. We met with the accuser twice and had repeated communications with him. We met with Kevin, who denied the accusation. We also conducted a thorough investigation and found the allegation of underage conduct to be unsubstantiated.
And although Sesame says that the accuser’s claims are unsubstantiated, they also note that an investigation revealed that Clash “violated company policy regarding internet usage and he was disciplined.” Clash, who adamantly denies having sex with a minor, is taking a leave of absence “to protect his reputation.”