The man who voices beloved children’s character “Elmo” took a leave of absence, after he was accused of having an affair with an underaged boy, Sesame Street officials said today.
The allegations against Kevin Clash, 52, go back seven years and the puppeteer said he needed a break from work to fight the allegations.
The famed puppeteer insisted he didn’t do anything wrong — and came out of the closet, in defending himself.
“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,” he said in a prepared statement.
“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.”
Officials with Sesame Workshop — the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street — said they conducted their own review, and couldn’t find conclusive evidence of any pervy, illegal acts by Clash.
But Clash’s employers conceded he used “poor judgment” in having a “personal relationship” with the accuser — although accusations of underaged sex were “unsubstantiated.”
“We met with the accuser twice and had repeated communications with him. We met with Kevin, who denied the accusation,” according to statement by Sesame Workshop.
“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.”
Sesame Workshop claims it first learned of the lurid allegations this summer.
“[In] June of this year, Sesame Workshop received a communication from a then-23-year-old man who alleged that he had a relationship beginning when he was 16” with Clash, according to a statement by Sesame Workshop.
The nonprofit group granted Clash’s request for time off.
“Kevin insists that the allegation of underage conduct is false and defamatory and he is taking actions to protect his reputation,” his employers said. “We have granted him a leave of absence to do so.”
Even if Clash did act inappropriately with the teen, Sesame Street officials said Elmo’s character would survive.
“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,” according to the nonprofit.
TMZ reported that the accuser has retained a law firm representing a victim of the Jerry Sandusky/Penn State sex- abuse scandal. The accuser and his lawyer claim that Sesame Street is rallying around Clash to protect the Elmo brand.
In an Aug. 15 letter, a lawyer from Andreozzi and Associates wrote to Sesame, and accused the nonprofit of efforts to “discredit the victim in order to protect its employee and the image of one of its most valuable characters.”
Benjamin Andreozzi, lead attorney for the Harrisburg, Pa., firm, was not immediately available for comment today.
A smiling Elmo remained on the front page of Sesame’s Web site today.
Clash was the star of the critically acclaimed 2011 documentary “Being Elmo,” tracing his career, childhood in Baltimore and lifelong fascination with puppets.
One of Clash’s favorite and most-told childhood anecdotes is about the time he sliced up his dad’s trench coat to make a puppet. The understanding and supportive dad didn’t freak out, and only told young Kevin: “Next time, just ask.”
Clash has been on “Sesame Street” since 1984 and has picked up loads of Daytime Emmys — 23 wins out of 36 nominations. In the most recent 2011-12 cycle, Clash was nominated for four awards and won three, one each for performing, directing and producing.
Clash once said he believes Elmo speaks for the typical, young “Sesame Street” viewer.
“Elmo mirors that 3 1/2-year-old that watches ‘Sesame Street,’ and he mirrors that 3 1/2 -year-old in all of us,” Clash told the Washington Post last year.
“Adults would love to live like Elmo, and kids love Elmo because they see themselves in him.”