Kevin Clash was cleared of one round sex abuse allegations last week, but now the award-winning Elmo puppeteer has been forced to resign from Sesame Street due to a second round of accusations he had sex with a minor. TMZ reported Tuesday that a man identified as Cecil Singleton has claimed Clash engaged in a sexual relationship with him when he was a minor. The alleged abuse occurred almost 10 years ago. TMZ said Singleton filed has a lawsuit against Clash in New York.
Sesame Workshop released this statement about Clash’s resignation on Tuesday: "Sesame Workshop's mission is to harness the educational power of media to help all children the world over reach their highest potential. Kevin Clash has helped us achieve that mission for 28 years, and none of us, especially Kevin, want anything to divert our attention from our focus on serving as a leading education organization. Unfortunately, the controversy surrounding Kevin's personal life has become a distraction that none of us want, and he has concluded that he can no longer be effective in his job and has resigned from Sesame Street. This is a sad day for Sesame Street."
Clash, 52, maintained his innocence through the first round of accusations, and the 23-year-old accuser eventually recanted his claims in a statement released through the law firm that represents him. "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,” Andreozzi & Associates said in a statement.
The man has not been identified. He initially claimed his sexual relationship with Clash began when he was 16-years-old and Clash was 45-years-old.
Clash had admitted to having a relationship with his accuser, but insisted it happened when the man was of legal age. Sesame Workshop said their investigation found the underage sex allegations to be “unsubstantiated.”
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