Elmo puppeteer denies claims of underage relationship

The puppeteer who operates Elmo on Sesame Street is taking a break from the show amid rumours that he had had a relationship with a 16-year-old boy.

The US-based Sesame Workshop said Kevin Clash, 52, 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,” said a Sesame Workshop source. “We met with the accuser twice and had repeated communications with him. We met with Kevin, who denied the accusation.”

The organisation said its probe found the allegation of underage conduct to be unsubstantiated. But it said Clash exercised “poor judgment” and was disciplined for violating company policy on internet usage. It offered no further details.

“I had a relationship with [the accuser],” Clash told showbusiness website TMZ. “It was between two consenting adults, and I am deeply saddened that he is trying to make it into something it was not.”

Clash requested, and has been given, a leave of absence in order to “protect his reputation”,.

“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,” said Sesame Workshop.

Sesame Street is currently in production, but other puppeteers are prepared to fill in for Clash during his absence.

“Elmo will still be a part of the shows being produced,” they said.

Clash has been a Sesame Street puppeteer since 1984, when he was handed the fuzzy red puppet named Elmo and asked to come up with a voice for him. He transformed the character, which had been a marginal member of The Muppets troupe for a number of years, into a star to rival Big Bird as the face of the show.

In 2006, Clash published an autobiography, My Life as a Furry Red Monster, and was the subject of a 2011 documentary, Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey.