In the wake of accusations of having a sexual relationship with a teenage boy, Kevin Clash, the voice of “Sesame Street’s” Elmo,has taken a leave of absence.
A young man, now 23, says he and Clash had a relationship seven years ago when he was 16 and Clash was 45. The accuser went to the folks at”Sesame Street” stating the claims which the children’s television show takes very seriously.
A rep told TMZ:
“In June of this year, Sesame Workshop received a communication from a young man who alleged that he had a relationship with Kevin Clash beginning when he was 16-years-old. This was a personal relationship, unrelated to the workplace. We took the allegation very seriously and took immediate action.”
According to TMZ, the young man believed “Sesame Street” was trying to keep him from speaking so he quickly lawyered up with Andreozzi and Associates, the same firm that represented one of Sandusky’s victims.
The program says they didn’t try to keep the young man quiet but rather asked for evidence which he didn’t provide.
In the meantime, Clash adamantly denies the claims saying the two had a consenting relationship and his accuser is taking things too far.
“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,” said Clash.
A “Sesame Street” rep says Elmo will continue to be a feature of the show during Clash’s absence.
“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.”
