[Update 1:55 p.m.] Kevin Clash has issued a statement saying,"I am a gay man. I have never been ashamed of this or tried to hide it, but felt it was a personal and private matter. I had a relationship with the accuser. It was between two consenting adults and I am deeply saddened that he is trying to characterize it as something other than what it was. I am taking a break from Sesame Workshop to deal with this false and defamatory allegation."
[Posted 12:23 p.m.] The puppeteer who voices Elmo - one of the most adored children's characters in the world - is taking time off from Sesame Street after denying he had an inappropriate relationship with a teenage boy.
Sesame Street Workshop says it found the allegation against Kevin Clash "unsubstantiated," and granted him leave as he takes "actions to protect his reputation."
In June, the workshop heard from a 23-year-old man who claimed that he had "a relationship" with Clash beginning when he was 16 years old, the workshop said in a written statement.
The statement did not use the word "sexual."
"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. Although this was a personal relationship unrelated to the workplace, our investigation did reveal that Kevin exercised poor judgment and violated company policy regarding internet usage and he was disciplined," the Sesame Street Workshop statement said.
"Kevin insists that the allegation of underage conduct is false and defamatory and he is taking actions to protect his reputation. We have granted him a leave of absence to do so.
"Elmo is bigger than any one person and will continue to be an integral part of Sesame Street to engage, educate and inspire children around the world, as it has for 40 years."
A representative for Clash had no immediate comment Monday. TMZ reported that Clash said his relationship with the accuser "was between two consenting adults and I am deeply saddened that he is trying to make it into something it was not."
A law firm reported to be representing the accuser had no immediate comment.
Last year, Clash spoke to CNN about the magic of Elmo, a "mirror image" for kids.
Clash, 52, is widely beloved as the high-pitched voice of the iconic furry red Elmo, whom he's been playing since 1984 - and won Emmy Awards along the way.
He was the third Muppeteer to take on the role.
Clash is also Sesame Street's senior Muppet coordinator and Muppet captain, the Sesame Street Workshop says on its website.
A documentary, Being Elmo, focused on his story.
Clash also once spoke with NYC Dads, an initiative of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, about how he worked to spend time with his daughter who lives with his ex-wife outside of Baltimore.
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Keven Clash seems to like to be around children's programming...maybe just a wee too much. Google him.
Never liked Elmo...never will...and this gives me great reason to think that I knew something was fishy all along. I think Elmo is the single most annoying puppet character ever....just as annoying as Barney.
With all of the Sesame street bashing going on in politics, why does this whiff of a setup?
DavidinCorpus:
It kinda sounds from the way your speaking, your rather jealous of Elmo and his fiery poker. Course, you hate republicans, because you think the law does not apply to "you", and we're angling for control of the tax slaves (what you said)? There is a lot of people that whine about anything, whine continually, until they are right (even if thier wrong).
Typical liberals. They look for something a little wrong in one of the Republicans, and they think the whole party is this way.
Really? Oh, yeah, that *must* be it ....no generalization there, right?
Typical Liberals?
How about 'Typical Conservatives'?
Elmo is Annoying. He turned Sesame Street into "The Elmo Show "
What happened to innocent until proven guilty?
Gives a whole new meaning to the tickle me Elmo doll!
Now it's called 'LOL Elmo'
I'm not making that up.
He was 50, the kid was 15... there was nothing wrong with this what so ever. Let them work it out and be happy.
I agree, let love be love. Age has no boundaries.
Yeah, high school kids need middle aged men to break them in.
Just because he's been sticking his hand up Elmo's bottom for a more than two decades, doesn't mean he's a child predator. Oh wait, how old is Elmo?
Looks like Elmo and Loraina Bobbit would get along "just fine".
This story was suppressed till after the election...just like Patraeus. What's next ?
Just one more thing announced by the left after the election.
Wow, how do you explain that one to your kids!
It's pretty obvious he did it... you don't "take a break" from a ridiculously high paying job unless you are forced to, and doing so makes him appear 50 times as guilty which is quite to the contrary of the reason he is giving. If he had nothing to hide he would have denied it, and just gone on with his life. After all, they can't charge him with a crime he hasn't committed.