Taiwan’s NME animation taking on the Kevin Clash/Elmo underage sex scandal was both welcome and inevitable. [via Clip Nation]

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I was really into this Kevin-Clash-gets-accused-of-statutory rape show when it first came out, but ever since the first guy told everyone he got paid $125K in hush money, and they tried to replace him with another guy who just wants money and might be lying, it really jumped the shark. You can’t just recast the victim like that mid season. But they’re still trying to make it work, even though Kevin Clash has already resigned, and anyone who comes forward now will have even less credibility.

The Emmy award-winning man behind Sesame Street’s “Elmo” is now facing his third allegation of underage sex in two weeks.
This time puppeteer Kevin Clash is facing a lawsuit accusing him of sexual activity with a 16-year-old in 2000.

Which is important, because the age of consent in New York is 17.

The accuser, now 29, will be filing a lawsuit in Manhattan Federal Court Tuesday, says the man’s attorney Jeff Herman.
He said the lawsuit is being filed as a “John Doe” because the accuser does not want to use his name.
A spokeswoman for the puppeteer said, “Mr. Clash believes this lawsuit has no merit.”
Herman said his client started writing a book in 2009 describing his experience with Clash.
The lawyer said he will have pages from that book at a press conference Tuesday to announce the lawsuit.
Herman said the accuser is from the South and was in high school when he came to New York 13 years ago for modeling work.
He said his client connected with Clash — who went under the pseudonym “Craig” and claimed to be only 30 years old — on a gay chat line. The two chatted for a couple of days and then Craig invited the 16-year-old to his apartment.

Moving to New York to model, then finding out the older man who took advantage of you is rich and willing to pay hush money is like winning the model lottery.

Read the rest of this entry »

You guys seem like you can read Tweets, so here you go, the latest on Kevin Clash from the AP:

BREAKING: Sesame Workshop says Elmo actor Kevin Clash resigned, calling sex allegations a “distraction.”

— The Associated Press (@AP) November 20, 2012

This after Sheldon Stephens (above left) accused Clash of having a sexual relationship with Stevens when Stephens was 16, then recanted (supposedly for a $125K settlement), then recanted his previous recantation. It’s a bummer. At the very least, Kevin Clash seems like a guy who loves Sesame Street enough to give up his lucrative dream job to keep from giving Sesame Street a bad reputation, even when he hasn’t been convicted or charged with any crimes. Probably not a lot of people would do that. Or, maybe he’s just guilty (seriously, don’t resign if you don’t want people to wonder if you’re guilty). Either way, it’s a little disingenuous for people to act like a guy whose dream was to play with puppets and kids all day isn’t going to have some weird sexual peccadillo.

Meanwhile, it’s getting worse, with TMZ reporting a second accuser coming forward:

Kevin Clash — known as the voice of Elmo — is facing NEW allegations that he had a sexual relationship with a SECOND underage boy … TMZ has learned.
The accuser — who is now in his 30s — has filed a lawsuit against Clash … claiming the two met on a gay phone chat line back in 1993 … when the accuser was 15 years old and Clash was 32.
In the suit, the accuser reveals his name — Cecil Singleton.  His attorney also provided TMZ with a photo.

Read the rest of this entry »

Last week, 23-year-old Shelden Stephens (only recently identified) came forward to accuse Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash of having a sexual relationship with him back when Stephens was 16. But then Stephens recanted his story, saying the affair occurred when they were both adults, with TMZ reporting that Clash had settled with him for $125 grand (a story as old as time). Well now, Stephens says he was pressured into settling and will gladly forfeit the money so long as it ensures that the truth is out there. Relax, Mulder, I think we all know what happened already.

We’ve learned Stephens has met with lawyers in Los Angeles and told them he was pressured into recanting his allegation and insists he’s telling the truth when he says he had sex with Clash when he was 16.

Stephens — who is now 23 — is telling lawyers he will gladly forfeit the $125,000  to restore his name.  Stephens is saying he was literally crying during the final negotiations and repeatedly said he didn’t want to sign. [TMZ]

I’d like to see Arnold Schwarzenegger play this guy in the movie adaptation. “Hey, Clash, remember when I said I lied? I lied.” (*drops $125K off cliff*)

I used to think it would be awesome to be gay because you wouldn’t have to deal with women and their fickleness and their constantly-changing moods, and them bringing up something you did five years ago every time you get in an argument. Now I’m starting to wonder if the only real selling point is all the butt sex.

Kevin expose. Elmo scarred for life.

You may remember yesterday when TMZ and others were reporting that Being Elmo‘s Kevin Clash was taking a leave of absence to deal with allegations that he’d had a sexual relationship with a kid when Clash was 45 and the accuser was 16. Clash had maintained the relationship occurred when both were adults, and now the accuser, who has still not been identified, has since recanted his story. Phew, good thing that’s out of the way before anyone’s reputation got ruined.

Andreozzi & Associates, a law firm that said it represented the accuser said in a statement that “he wants it to be known that his sexual relationship with Mr. Clash was an adult consensual relationship.” The statement added, “He will have no further comment on the matter.” [NYTimes]

Well sure, I can’t imagine anyone might have follow-up questions.

It’s unclear why the accuser suddenly changed his story … but sources close to the situation tell TMZ … the accuser’s attorney had been meeting with Clash’s attorney as recent as an hour ago, discussing a financial settlement and 6-figures were on the table. [TMZ]

Don’t tell me I’m the only one who imagined The Count counting each figure as it was laid on the table there. Now, granted I’m not a lawyer, but this isn’t how extortion usually works, is it? Anyway, move along, folks, nothing to see here. We can all sleep easier knowing that a 45-year-old puppeteer was blowing an 18-year-old, not a 16-year-old like some kind of perv.