Elmo Muppeteer Kevin Clash resigns from Sesame Street

[Mo Frackle]

Yeah. I've heard about that too, but I have been thinking that Elmo will probably show up in live appearances on talk shows or whatever, since I know they often do that when they promote the new season of SS. Plus there's always the Macy's parade. I don't know how many times they can do a prerecording of Kevin's Elmo. I doubt Elmo will be silent or absent in live appearances, so I'm guessing it should be sometime in 2013 before the premiere of the new season of SS that we'll probably hear a new Elmo even if it is still Kevin's Elmo heard on the show. Just my opinion on this.

Yeah, it's bound to happen at some point, no question about that. Though I think we were just relieved it wasn't happening within a month or so after Kevin left.

 

[FrackleFan2012]

It's like Bert Irwan being the new voice of Mickey Mouse after Wayne Allwine's death.
Elmo deserves to stay on the street!

 

[SSLFan]

For those of you who care to hear the other side of the story, I found these articles recently published where 3 of the accusers reveal their reasons for coming forward. Please be warned that some of the stuff they mention is a bit graphic.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/features/2012/12/kevin-clash-s-accusers-speak-out.html

 

[D'Snowth]

Okay, here's one little red flag for me:

In Shelbum's article, he said he was asked if he would be compensated for speaking out, but when he was told he wouldn't, he decided to speak out anyway.

Let's back up for a minute... he wanted to be compensated for speaking out? And we're to believe none of this is about extortion? He even says later in the interview that when they put money on the table, he decided he wanted to take it (although, he says it's to help pay his mother's bills, put his niece in preschool... and better his own life...)

I also like the little touch of sympathy towards him as well: "He had two jobs until the scandal broke out. He lost them." Yeah, if I found out one of my employees had been sexually assaulted when he/she was younger, I would have fired him/her too.

But at least even he points out that the media needs to stop dragging Elmo into the situation, because none of this is about Elmo.

EDIT: Another red flag - after reading DLLAL's article, he again says that he ended his relationship with Kevin after two weeks, like he initially said on Dr. Drew, but then a couple of paragraphs later, he said he and Kevin hooked back up on the same chat line years later. Okay, that's new...

 

[D'Snowth]

I certainly am glad that so far, with every new vid that SST posts on YT with Elmo, that they haven't been bombarded with a bunch of trolls trying to have a field day over Kevin's issue right now, that's a relief... you'd think trolls would be relishing in this right now.

 

[Mo Frackle]

I certainly am glad that so far, with every new vid that SST posts on YT with Elmo, that they haven't been bombarded with a bunch of trolls trying to have a field day over Kevin's issue right now, that's a relief... you'd think trolls would be relishing in this right now.

Oh there's still a few in each video. But yes, it's good that there are few to be found.

 

[MrBloogarFoobly]

For those of you who care to hear the other side of the story, I found these articles recently published where 3 of the accusers reveal their reasons for coming forward. Please be warned that some of the stuff they mention is a bit graphic.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/features/2012/12/kevin-clash-s-accusers-speak-out.html

Well, that's certainly ugly if it's true. It makes both Kevin Clash AND Sesame Workshop look pretty bad.

Out of the three, the first accuser is is the only one who seems to be credible.

 

[dwayne1115]

Can't we move past all of this now??? Whats done is done... Lets just walk away from this learn from it and go on. The damage is done, and there is nothing any of us can say or do to fix it.

We have had our time to be upset angry grieve, or anything else we may have needed to do. It's time to move on and look ahead to the new year to come.

If there where any positve out of all of this I would think that it would be that for the most part we Muppet fans have been able to talk about things that have been very difficult, without a lot of upset, name calling or bashing of other members of this forum. That in it's self is a good thing, and I'm proud of all of you.

 

[Phillip]

There is now an accuser number four...

Elmo actor faces sex abuse claim from fourth accuser

By Courtney Hazlett, TODAY

A fourth man is accusing Kevin Clash, the puppeteer and actor who for many years portrayed "Sesame Street" character Elmo, of sexual abuse.

In a lawsuit filed Monday in Miami, the accuser -- using the name John Doe -- claims that Clash befriended him in late 1995 or early 1996, when Doe was 16 or 17. In 1996, he says, Clash flew him from Miami to New York at Clash's expense. It was during Doe's stay in New York that the abuse allegedly happened.

In a statement, the victim's attorney Jeff Herman said, “According to our lawsuit, Kevin Clash knowingly paid to transport a minor across state lines for the purpose of satisfying his sexual interests."

Herman also represents two other men who've accused Clash of sexual abuse: second accuser Cecil Singleton and the third accuser, who is also using the name John Doe.

Clash resigned from "Sesame Street" Nov. 10, issuing a statement saying, "I have loved every day of my 28 years working for this exceptional organization. Personal matters have diverted attention away from the important work 'Sesame Street' is doing and I cannot allow it to go on any longer. I am deeply sorry to be leaving and am looking forward to resolving these personal matters privately."

Clash's representatives did not respond to an NBC News request for comment.

http://todayentertainment.today.com...aces-sex-abuse-claim-from-fourth-accuser?lite

 

[D'Snowth]

There's a common thread running through all of this: the latest victims are from Miami, they ask to be refered to as "John Doe", they hire this Jeff Herman for their attorney...

But aside from that, I mean, under what normal circumstances does a 16/17-year-old fly to from one end of the country, to another, unattended?