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‘Elmo’ Puppeteer Ends 28-Year Career Amid More Allegations of Sex With Underage Boys

Nov. 20, 2012 7:22pm Erica Ritz

Elmo Puppeteer Kevin Clash Resigns Over More Allegations of Sex With Underage Boys

Puppeteer Kevin Clash and Elmo talk at the Apple Store Upper West Side on November 20, 2011 in New York City. (Photo: Getty Images)

(AP) — Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash resigned from “Sesame Street” on Tuesday amid allegations he sexually abused underage boys, bringing an end to a 28-year career in which he turned the furry red monster into one of the most beloved – and lucrative – characters on TV and in toy stores.

“Personal matters have diverted attention away from the important work `Sesame Street’ is doing and I cannot allow it to go on any longer,” the 52-year-old performer said in a statement. “I am deeply sorry to be leaving and am looking forward to resolving these personal matters privately.”

His departure came as a 24-year-old college student, Cecil Singleton, sued Clash for more than $5 million Tuesday, accusing the actor of engaging in sexual behavior with him when he was 15. Singleton charged that Clash made a habit of trolling gay chat lines for underage boys and meeting them for sex.

It was the second such allegation in just over a week. On Nov. 12, a man in his 20s said he had sex with Clash at age 16. A day later, though, the young man recanted, saying their relationship was adult and consensual.

Clash was a young puppeteer at “Sesame Street” in the mid-1980s when was assigned a little-used puppet now known as Elmo and turned him into a star, creating his high-pitched voice and child-like personality. Clash also served as the show’s senior Muppet coordinator and Muppet captain, winning 23 daytime Emmy awards and one prime-time Emmy.

In a statement, Sesame Workshop said that “the controversy surrounding Kevin’s personal life has become a distraction that none of us want,” and that Clash had concluded “he can no longer be effective in his job.”

“This is a sad day for Sesame Street,” the company said.

Clash did not address the new allegations. He said previously that he had an adult and consensual relationship with the first accuser. The divorced father of a grown daughter, he acknowledged that he is gay.

At a news conference Tuesday, Singleton said he and Clash met on a gay chat line when he was 15, and for a two-week period, they had sexual contact but not intercourse. He said he didn’t know what Clash did for a living until he was 19 and Googled the man’s name.

“I was shocked when I found out what he did for a living,” said Singleton, a student in criminal psychology who lives in New York but would not say where he goes to school.

He said he didn’t consider speaking up until he heard about last week’s accusation.

“I thought I was a unique circumstance,” Singleton said. “I did not know that it was something he had done habitually.”

Singleton’s lawyer, Jeff Herman, said he had been contacted by two other potential victims and expects additional legal action. Sex with a person under 17 is a felony in New York if the perpetrator is 21 or older.

Elmo has been a major moneymaker for Sesame Workshop. By one estimate, Elmo toys account for one-half to two-thirds of the $75 million in annual sales the Sesame Street toy line generates for Hasbro.

Clash became something of a star himself. In 2006, he published an autobiography, “My Life as a Furry Red Monster,” and he was the subject of the 2011 documentary “Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey.”

Episodes with Clash performing as Elmo will presumably continue well into 2014. Taping of season No. 44 will wrap by mid-December and will begin airing next September, according to someone close to the show who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of its production.

As for who might take over as Elmo, other “Sesame Street” puppeteers have been trained to serve as Clash’s stand-in, Sesame Workshop said. “Elmo is bigger than any one person,” the company said last week.

On Tuesday, Hasbro echoed that sentiment with its own statement: “We are confident that Elmo will remain an integral part of Sesame Street and that Sesame Street toys will continue to delight children for years to come.”

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Comments (40)

objectivetruth
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 10:48am
I have to give credit where credit is due.Elmo took credit for the relationship/s.No that s wasn’t sarcastic.At least he didn’t try and pretend it didn’t happen unlike Sandusky.Its bad enough to have something horrible happen to you.The absolute worst is when noone will take responsibility for it.They attempt to cover it up act like it didn’t happen exc.This initself is enough to make the individual want to reach out and just strangle them to death.Solves not only their problem but everyone elses too.

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TheEndIsComing
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 10:01am
This should be a wake up call to ALL conservatives. The liberals/progressives are trying to brainwash or children and us. Isn’t it time that conservatives stop supporting liberals/progressives?

I have been creeped out with Sesame Street since I was a kid. Then we find out Jim Henson died of AIDS. And now Elmo’s puppeteer is gay, and an alleged child molester. Not only was he the puppeteer to Elmo, he was the Muppet Captain, and head puppeteer. Don’t we all know that these twisted minds pollute the airwaves with their distorted thoughts, and we let them into our homes to affect our minds and our children’s minds by clicking on the TV?

I have stopped watching TV, don’t go to any movies with liberal/progressive actors or directors, which is most of them. Why do we complain here on this blog and in our homes, and then run out and dump million of dollars into their pockets?

Isn’t it time to bring our actions into line with our beliefs? Boycott liberal media, liberal companies, and companies that advertise with the liberals. Do this actively, and let these companies know what you are doing. We are much to blame for the sad state of affairs that America is in, because we went along with it willingly.

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smokey40
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 9:20am
To think they were accusing Romney of trying to get rid of Big Bird when the Liberal agenda just killed off Elmo.

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- G-WHIZ
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 12:04pm
  Elmo was aCONSERVATIVE!! As soon as his “retirement” is complete, [PRESTO!!] THE SEX ALLIGATIONS WILL NECESSARILY DISSAPEAR, never to be heard-of again!!
  
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spfoam1
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 8:04am
The media is full of these perverts, and they want us to think that they are normal. They are not normal, and they are dangerous to children. The media is slowly poisoning our society, through our children, with freaks and perverts and communists. Don’t worry, they will find another pedo to take his place.

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Eastinfection
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 7:40am
Does anyone remember “Tickle Me Emo” from MadTV?…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02S46GzjpNw

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- MCON29
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 11:22am
  Thats funny
  
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- tharpdevenport
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 3:38pm
  Or:
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNHnuH1zxXs
  
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mrja
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 7:38am
PBS = Pedophile Broadcasting Service

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- rickc34
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 10:22am
  Good one.
  
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What the Heck
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 6:49am
Awww, poor alleged perv who gets a check form a company the GOV supports and now has none. The best knowledge kids could get on PBS. Knowledge of what?

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KingCanon
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 6:09am
In a post-Christian era WHY is this wrong anymore?
Why isn’t the media openly applauding this celebrity?
I feel sure they’re applauding his actions backstage.
If not now…. when?

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- SacredHonor1776
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 6:18am
  They still haven’t changed the laws or gotten the pedophilia listed as “normal” in the psychology books yet. Give them time.
  
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betterpart
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 4:21am
The terms ‘depraved’ and ‘perverted pigs’ are too good for these reprobates.

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- Chi_Chi
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 5:49am
  I don’t know what posseses someone to be attracted to kids. Read fresh political commentary at: http://smallcraftadvisorychronicles.blogspot.com/
  
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Bigmac1947
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:10am
He will get a new job in Obama’s Administration. How about Gay Czar. Obama has a special job for Blacks, even more special privilege now.

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USALOVER2011
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 11:23pm
Thank goodness my kids are too old to see the show. How can any parents allow their children watch the show knowing what this man did? Because every time I see Elmo, I would think about this guy and what he did! This is very disappointing. My kids used to watched Sesame Street and buy their toys when my they were little…BIG MISTAKE!!!

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tharpdevenport
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 11:03pm
Sooo … he would have been “affective” for SS if only ONE alligation had been made? Two — no, that’s too far!

And Kevin Clash is living on another planet if he thinks having sex with under age boys (or oral, or what ever) is something we’re just gonna let him deal with “rpivately”. This sounds like liberal mumbo jumbo speak — I bet he’s a lib.

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- Eastinfection
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 7:34am
  “I bet he’s a lib” ….lol… ya think?
  
  Most gays are Liberal.
  Most blacks are Liberal.
  He’s gay and black so i’d say that’s a safe bet… though i doubt anyone would give you odds on it.
  
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Armyduderetired
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 10:59pm
Owe…think about all the barny kids…..sick twisted freaks…help me Jesus!

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Luisa48
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 10:46pm
Well, if he is gay/pedophile then he had sex with underage boys too. Has anyone noticed that pedophile men are also gay? Most pedophile men have sex with under age “boys”, sometimes with under age girls too, but mostly boys.

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southernORcobra
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 9:57pm
now we know the inspiration behind the tickle me elmo doll

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- kung
  Posted on November 20, 2012 at 10:15pm
  Tickle me ****.
  
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wingnut1955
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 9:51pm
The elephant in the room. He is just another homosexual recruiting more boys to his way of thinking. Just like Sandusky. They can’t procreate, so they must recruit.

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- rickc34
  Posted on November 20, 2012 at 9:59pm
  And what’s Big Birds story? Is he gay to. How about Oscar what he doing in that can all day. Bert and Ernie.
  
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blackyb
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 9:48pm
Is Elmo one of those Warren Indians? He may have him a racist case going on as this man has one going on since all this is going to become some racist thing, somehow. Actually I have never seen a red person, but I guess they have to have them a color and do not want to be considered the same color as another race. It all gets to be quite confusing.

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Satrix
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 9:44pm
Elmo loves you!

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perry1980
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 9:44pm
Enjoy forced retirement you freak

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Oneirishman
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 9:38pm
This explains why all the kids working with Elmo are coughing up fur balls.

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blackyb
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 9:38pm
Is that racist? I can handle it either way, yea or na. It is what it is, everything else is racist, so I guess this Elmo fisting must have some kind of way it could be used as racist. If not, lets see how they try to make up ways for them to use it that way.

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blackyb
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 9:34pm
I am thinking the dude’s next puppet star will be bathhouse bare. He should be entertaining with this in prison. Yes, I think a grown man should maybe consider other aspirations in life then fisting a rag doll. It would likely have a long range effect on his psyche.

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blackyb
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 9:30pm
If Obama had a son……

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blackyb
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 9:29pm
There is just not a lot to be said for a grown man sticking his hands up the azzes of cloth faces and playing games. That is just not ‘manly.’ It just may have grown into some kind of malignancy over time.

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Master.Debater
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 9:27pm
Elmo’s a child molester?

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- blackyb
  Posted on November 20, 2012 at 9:41pm
  Yes, Elmo is a perv. He is sitting his cloth azz on that black mans fist. Elmo is a racist. The man just says he is hunting twinkies, used or not. Holder would believe him, Obama will give him a job in the White House tasting food for him, or better yet testing the help for him.
  
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