Elmo Puppeteer Kevin Clash Officially Resigns

Deadline reports that Kevin Clash, the voice behind one of Sesame Street's most beloved characters, Elmo, has resigned. The news comes amid recent accusations that Clash was involved in a sexual relationship with an underaged man. 

The puppeteer had originally taken a leave of absence from the show when the story first surfaced, but then returned when his accuser recounted his story. At the time Clash commented that he was “relieved that this painful allegation has been put to rest”.

Today however, in a statement from Sesame Workshop, it appears that Clash will be officially leaving the show that he has been a part of for the past 27 years. The statement reads:

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 educational organization. Unfortunately, the controversy surrounding Kevin’s personal life has become a distraction that none of us wants, 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.