Kevin Clash, winner of a total of 24 Emmys and famous for his role as the squeaky voice of Sesame Street puppet Elmo, has resigned after nearly thirty years on Sesame Street. His resignation follows a lawsuit filed Tuesday by a 24 year old New York resident named Cecil Singleton, who claims to have had a sexual affair with Clash nine years ago after meeting on a gay chat line, when Singleton was 15 years old. Singleton filed a lawsuit in New York federal court seeking upwards of $5 million in damages from Clash. Singleton alleges he was enticed into having sex with Clash with money and dinners.
This lawsuit is the second filed recently against the Elmo actor, following accusations from a man who said that Clash had sex with him when he was 16. Those accusations were recanted, however, leaving Clash only to deal with the Singleton case thus far. Two other potential victims have also contacted Cecil Singleton’s lawyer, Jeff Herman, with similar stories, though none of the accounts have been verified thus far. The allegations from Singleton span across a two week period and denote sexual contact but specify that it did not include intercourse. Clash faces potential felonies, the charge for sex with anyone under 17 for someone who is 21 or older.
Whether or not the allegations are found to be true, this may very likely be the end of Clash’s acting career and could have profound effects on the Sesame Workshop as a whole. Clash stated that he felt he could no longer be effective as an actor on the show, and that the scandal had become a distraction for the cast. Though actors are already being interviewed to replace Clash as Elmo, these serious allegations may very seriously mar the reputation of the Sesame brand.
This lawsuit is the second filed recently against the Elmo actor, following accusations from a man who said that Clash had sex with him when he was 16. Those accusations were recanted, however, leaving Clash only to deal with the Singleton case thus far. Two other potential victims have also contacted Cecil Singleton’s lawyer, Jeff Herman, with similar stories, though none of the accounts have been verified thus far. The allegations from Singleton span across a two week period and denote sexual contact but specify that it did not include intercourse. Clash faces potential felonies, the charge for sex with anyone under 17 for someone who is 21 or older.
Whether or not the allegations are found to be true, this may very likely be the end of Clash’s acting career and could have profound effects on the Sesame Workshop as a whole. Clash stated that he felt he could no longer be effective as an actor on the show, and that the scandal had become a distraction for the cast. Though actors are already being interviewed to replace Clash as Elmo, these serious allegations may very seriously mar the reputation of the Sesame brand.
Comments