Accuser Recants Charges Against Elmo Puppeteer

The man who accused the voice of Elmo, Kevin Clash, of engaging in a sexual relationship with him when he was underage has now recanted his statement. Andreozzi & Associates, the law firm representing the 23-year-old man, released a statement saying the accuser “wants it to be known that his sexual relationship with Mr. Clash was an adult consensual relationship. We will have no further comment on the matter.”

"I am relieved that this painful allegation has been put to rest. I will not discuss it further," Clash, 52, said in a statement. There’s no word when he will return to Sesame Street. 

“We are pleased that this matter has been brought to a close, and we are happy that Kevin can move on from this unfortunate episode,” Sesame Workshop said on its web site. Throughout the accusations, Sesame has stood by Clash, saying it had investigated the allegations and found them to be unsubstantiated.