When you think of Elmo, the cuddly red Sesame Street puppet that launched a toy frenzy a few Christmases ago, you probably don't think of "gay sex with a minor." Just a hunch. But TMZ, unfortunately, broke the story recently that Kevin Clash, the high-pitched voice of Elmo, is currently being accused of having sex with a 16-year-old boy seven years ago, when he was 45. Clash, who's now 52, has been Elmo since 1984, and he vehemently denies the accusation, saying, "I had a relationship with [the accuser]. It was between two consenting adults and I am deeply saddened that he is trying to make it into something it was not." Clash is currently taking a leave of absence from his high-profile job to deal with this mess -- this mess that keeps on getting weirder.
The accuser apparently met with Sesame Workshop officials on two occasions, but he felt that they were basically just trying to keep him quiet, so he lawyered up with the firm that represented one of the Jerry Sandusky victims. A few months ago, the firm sent Sesame Workshop a letter, accusing them of attempting to "discredit the victim in order to protect its employee and the image of one of its most valuable characters," adding, "This approach places a greater value on a puppet than the well being of a young man." Wow.
But here's where things get murky.
Sesame Workshop officials apparently told TMZ that they conducted their own investigation of the issue and concluded that the allegation of underage sex was unsubstantiated. They also claim that they never tried to silence the accuser -- they just asked for supporting evidence, but he never produced it. However, now the accuser has produced an email -- which has, of course, been obtained by TMZ -- that was allegedly sent by Clash to the accuser, acknowledging an affair when the victim was 16. Sesame officials believe this email is fraudulent, as it wasn't produced earlier.
It's hard to place blame here, as this really is a "he says/he says" situation. Clearly, these two men had a relationship, but when is the $64,000 question. Really, it's a lose-lose here, as if what the accuser is saying is true, it's sad. And if it's not, it's sad, also, as he's pretty much ruining somebody's reputation. And not just anybody's -- Elmo's.
Here's Kevin Clash as Elmo. What do you think of this?
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Comments 7
I don't care about him being gay. That's not the issue, however people in general should stop dating people who are several years younger than they are. He was 45 and if this other man was 18 or something you are getting in dangerous territory. The person can easily lie about their age and you will be in a world of trouble. I don't care about May- December romances but you have to be on the look out. Now if he was underage and Clash knew this he's in trouble.
um, depending on the state it took place (if it took place), 16 is a legal age to have consensual sex with an adult. But if it happened in a state where the legal age is 18, then this is sad for him. And to think, he would have sex with a person who is old enough to be his child, is slightly disturbing, but that's not our business!
Sesame Street was WRONG to do their own investigation. This is similar to what I have read about what is happening in churches. They do their own investigation and determine it is false.
It may or may not be false. But it is NOT their job to do the investigation. It is always the adults, company's, authorities job to CONTACT THE POLICE!!! They were wrong.
And if it turns out to be true they should be in a LOT of trouble for covering it up. Even if it isn't true, they should get in trouble. How many other accusations might they have 'investigated' and determined to be false without ever going to the police?
This is a sad situation, all the way around. If it is true, Clash should be held responsible but people need to remember, he is Elmo's voice, not Elmo to the kids. He can be replaced. Elmo should be left out of this. The man is the one with the problem, not the puppet. To say Elmo is in a sex scandle is ridiculous. Considering the source, this site, I'm not surprised.
Kay, it doesn't matter. When someone comes to you and says they are abused as a child you are legally required to go to the police. It doesn't matter if you think they are false, it doesn't matter if the person could go to the police themselves.
In fact, very few victims EVER go to the police themselves. We OFTEN hear cases of people who went to someone at their company, their school, their church - they did not go to the police. They go to someone else. I don't know if this guy is in it for the money or if this really happened. My point is that is NOT Sesame Streets place to make that call. They should have gone to the police. He said he was abused as a child. That means - report to the police.