Man who accused Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash of having sex with him when he was 16 RECANTS, now says it was 'adult consensual relationship'

Scandal on Sesame Street: Kevin Clash, pictured with Elmo, allegedly had sex with a 16-year-old boy when he was 45

The young man who publicly accused Kevin clash, the puppeteer behind Elmo on Sesame Street, of an underage sexual affair has withdrawn his claim Tuesday, according to his lawyer. The recantation comes one day after the accusations against Clash, who is openly gay, were published on TMZ, setting off a firestorm in the media.

Andreozzi & Associates, a law firm that said it represented the 23-year-old unnamed accuser, said in a statement on his behalf: 'He wants it to be known that his sexual relationship with Mr Clash was an adult consensual relationship. He will have no further comment on the matter.'

Since the scandal broke, Clash, 52, has taken a leave of absence from the Sesame Workshop, which produces the popular children's TV show on PBS.  On Tuesday, he told the New York Times through a spokesman: 'I am relieved that this painful allegation has been put to rest. I will not discuss it further.' Clash exchanged messages with his accuser in 2010 in which he apologized for constantly talking about sex and promised to make all of his 'dreams come true'.

 

Allegations: Clash has left the popular children's show to fight the accusations

The puppeteer, who has left the show in the wake of the accusations, told the man almost 30 years his junior that he loved him and offered to buy him a ticket to visit him in New York, it has emerged. The Sesame Street stalwart, who has worked on the show since the mid-80s, admits to having a sexual relationship with the accuser but insists it only took place after the younger man was an adult. Clash, 52, took a leave of absence from the children's show after the 23-year-old contacted the program's lawyers and told them he had a sexual relationship with the puppeteer seven years ago.

Iconic: Clash, left, who has voiced Elmo for two decades, admits he had a relationship with the man, but only after the accuser was an adult

In the latest emails published by TMZ, sent well after the accuser turned 18, Clash wrote: 'I'm sorry that I keep talking about sex with you, its driving me insane.' He added: 'I want you to know that I love you and I will never hurt you. I'm here to protect you and make sure your dreams come true... I'll have my assistant book a ticket for you to come to NY and we can talk about this in person.' Clash said he will now focus on fighting the allegations, which he described as false and defamatory. He said the relationship was between two consenting adults that he was deeply saddened that the younger man was 'trying to make it into something it was not.'

The accuser reportedly felt he was being silenced after his initial meeting with Sesame Street lawyers. He is now being represented by Andreozzi and Associates - the firm that worked with one of the victims in the Jerry Sandusky child rape case. In August, the accuser's lawyers wrote a letter to Sesame Street accusing the programme of trying to 'discredit the victim in order to protect its employee and the image of one of its most valuable characters.' The letter also claimed the show's attitude 'places a greater value on a puppet than the well being of a young man.' Sesame Workshop officials, however, said they found the the allegation of underage sex was unsubstantiated after a thorough investigation. 

 

In the spotlight: Clash, who joined Sesame Street in the mid-80s, sent his accuser emails promising to make his dreams come true

They say that rather than trying to hush up the accuser, they asked for evidence of his allegations, which was not received. TMZ reported they had seen an email supposedly sent to the accuser by Clash, acknowledging they had the affair when he was 16, but officials believe it is fake as they say the accuser never mentioned such an email existed. Sesame Street disciplined Mr Clash for inappropriate use of company email after they found his messages to the accuser, but they reportedly did not indicate an illegal sexual relationship.  They said the divorced father of a 19-year-old girl had shown poor judgment, but claimed 
his leave of absence was to allow him to defend his reputation in the wake of the damaging allegations.  Clash's ex-wife, Gina, declined to comment, but a friend who answered the door at her Baltimore home told the New York Daily News that the former nurse is 'surviving'.

A neighbour who did not wish to be identified defended Clash, saying: 'He was really good to her and the family. He's a really nice guy.' Sesame Workshop insisted the scandal surrounding Clash does not mean the end of Elmo. 'Elmo is bigger than any one person,' the company said. Clash has been Elmo's puppeteer for two decades, performing on the show as well as for PBS specials, DVD releases and TV movies, while earning nine Daytime Emmy Awards. He eventually assumed the title of Sesame Street's Senior Puppet Coordinator and Muppet Captain, while also directing and producing show segments and TV specials. He published an autobiography about his career in 2006 called My Life as a Furry Red Monster: What Being Elmo Has Taught Me About Life, Love and Laughing Out Loud. Earlier this year he appeared in Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey, a documentary detailing Clash's journey from a childhood obsession with puppets to assuming his role on the iconic show.

 Source: Daily Mail UK 

Please share