The man who accused Kevin Clash, the puppeteer and voice of Elmo on Sesame Street, of an underage sexual relationship with him has retracted his allegations.
According to The New York Times Media Decoder blog, the anonymous 24-year-old “wants it to be known that his sexual relationship with Mr. Clash was an adult consensual relationship.” The statement was released by Andreozzi & Associates, a law firm claiming to represent the accuser. “He will have no further comment on the matter.”
Clash as well noted he would no longer give comment on the issue.
“I am relieved that this painful allegation has been put to rest. I will not discuss it further,” he said in a statement released through a spokeswoman. By Sunday evening,
Clash had taken a leave of absence from playing Sesame Street's Elmo to deal with the accusations of underage sex.
"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. 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," Clash said in a statement to ABC News.
The popular celebrity blog TMZ had posted a story on Monday with the headline, “Voice of Elmo Denies Sex With Under-Age Boy.”
After news of the scandal broke on Monday, “Elmo” trended on Twitter nationally by Tuesday evening. On Wednesday, the hubbub had died down, as Clash’s name was cleared.
But, as usual, Twitter users weighed in on the subject, with feelings ranging from cynical to relieved.
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