Elmo Puppeteer Accused of Underage Relationship

[Zoneboy]

Link

NEW YORK (AP) — The puppeteer who performs as Elmo on "Sesame Street" is taking a leave of absence from the popular kids' show in the wake of allegations that he had a relationship with a 16-year-old boy.
Sesame Workshop said puppeteer Kevin Clash denies the charges, which were first made in June by the alleged partner, who by then was 23.
"We took the allegation very seriously and took immediate action," Sesame Workshop said in a statement issued Monday. "We met with the accuser twice and had repeated communications with him. We met with Kevin, who denied the accusation."
The organization described the relationship as personal and "unrelated to the workplace." Its investigation found the allegation of underage conduct to be unsubstantiated. But it said Clash exercised "poor judgment" and was disciplined for violating company policy regarding Internet usage. It offered no details.
"I had a relationship with (the accuser)," Clash told TMZ. "It was between two consenting adults and I am deeply saddened that he is trying to make it into something it was not."
At his request, Clash has been granted a leave of absence in order to "protect his reputation," Sesame Workshop said.
No further explanation was provided, nor was the duration of his leave specified.
"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," Sesame Workshop said in its statement.
"Sesame Street" is currently in production, but other puppeteers are prepared to fill in for Clash during his absence, according to a person close to the show who spoke on condition of anonymity because that person was not authorized to publicly discuss details about the show's production.
"Elmo will still be a part of the shows being produced," that person said.
The 52-year-old Clash, the divorced father of a grown daughter, has been a puppeteer for "Sesame Street" since 1984. It was then that he was handed the fuzzy red puppet named Elmo and asked to come up with a voice for him. Clash transformed the character, which had been a marginal member of the Muppets troupe for a number of years, into a major star rivaling Big Bird as the face of "Sesame Street."
In 2006, Clash published an autobiography, "My Life as a Furry Red Monster," and was the subject of the 2011 documentary "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey."

[catlover79]

YIKES.

[AKA]

I think it's important to stress the fact that Sesame Workshop found no evidence of wrongdoing other than a violation of the company's Internet policy.

That the accuser appears to have gone to Mr. Clash's employer instead of the proper authorities is very suspect. It seems more of an attempt by a disgruntled ex-lover to drag Mr. Clash's name through the mud and ruin his career. You know, to get even or to blackmail. I don't believe that anything unsavory happened here, and hope Mr. Clash can resume working as soon as possible.

[Jaqui-Michel]

Even if the accusation is proven false, Clash's career is already damaged. The public will either see him as a victim of a spurned lover or a old predator who trolled the internet picking up the young and impressionable. It's going to be a no win situation.

[Retro4Life]

Yeah, either way it turns out, this strikes me as a very sad story for the kids that love Sesame Street. I guess you could say they could be sheltered from it, but I think in the long run this man's career is going to be severely damaged (and I'm not yet passing judgement yet on whether or not it should be). And as a result, PBS is going to be hard pressed to not react in some way.

[catlover79]

Let us not forget, PBS faced a similar scandal in the late 90s with the host of their show, The Frugal Gourmet, the late Jeff Smith. He was accused of molesting young boys, but I don't recall if he was proven innocent or guilty. In any case, his career was ruined and he passed on just a few years later (of natural causes).

Then again, how many children watched The Frugal Gourmet? Sesame Street and particularly Elmo are STILL a very healthy cash cow after all these years. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens...

[JamesG]

^ Smith was never charged with any crimes, however he settled out of court with the accusers for an undisclosed amount of money shortly before the trial was to begin.

Here's an old news article: http://www.current.org/1998/07/cooki...l-abuse-suits/

[catlover79]

Thanks!! I had never known what the outcome was, but his career was pretty much over when all was said and done.

[JamesG]

Originally Posted by catlover79

Thanks!! I had never known what the outcome was, but his career was pretty much over when all was said and done.

We'll never know what actually happened, but I'm of the reasoning that a truly innocent person (especially of accusations of child molestation) would do everything possible to clear their names and not pay "hush money".

[AKA]

The accuser has recanted his story. He now says it was consensual and that it happened when he was of age. It pays to reserve judgment.

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.co...?smid=tw-share

[Retro4Life]

Interesting, and welcome news.

What happens next should reveal if the issue of him being gay is bugging people or not. Since what he did wasn't illegal, the only real reason left to be upset about this would be because Clash is gay. I personally couldn't care less, but I know there are those that worry about a gay man or woman having influence/being a role model for kids.

[AKA]

Muppeteer Richard Hunt was openly gay, and I'm pretty sure his employers up to and including Jim Henson and Children's Television Workshop knew. Still, he worked on Sesame Street for 21 years, as well as many other Muppet projects.

It is my hope that 20 years after Mr. Hunt's death, Sesame Workshop and PBS are at least as progressive as Mr. Henson was. By all accounts, Kevin Clash is a hell of a guy, and shouldn't be punished or have his career tarnished because some bigoted parents have a problem with his sexuality.

I'd encourage anyone who wants to learn more about Mr. Clash to watch the documentary Being Elmo. Fascinating stuff!

[Jaqui-Michel]

I don't think the issue will be Clash's sexual preference. The age of the accuser at the time of their initial contact is what may bother people. A teenager in a friendship with a person old enough to be his/her parent that turns into a relationship may not sit well with people. It does not matter if the people involved are gay or straight. It makes the adult in the situation look trifling.

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by JamesG

We'll never know what actually happened, but I'm of the reasoning that a truly innocent person (especially of accusations of child molestation) would do everything possible to clear their names and not pay "hush money".

So am I.

[Schmoopie]

I have a feeling that some parents are going to be so up in arms over this news that they'll refuse to let their kids watch Sesame Street again. I can see their point but then again it's stupid since the age range for Sesame Street is so young that kids this age couldn't possibly be affected by this news.