Sesame Street's Elmo Puppeteer Takes Leave of Absence After Teen Sex Accusations
No tickle joke
Kevin Clash, the Emmy-winning puppeteer famed for performing Sesame Street's beloved Elmo for the past 27 years, is denying accusations that he had sex with a 16-year-old boy.
Sesame Workshop issued a statement Monday saying that a 23-year-old man contacted the company in June alleging he and the 52-year-old Clash had a relationship seven years prior. Workshop reps say they met with the unidentified accuser twice and communicated with him on repeated occasions. They also met with Clash, who adamantly denied wrongdoing.