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Kevin Clash accuser drops lawsuit

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:12:00 +0000

A plaintiff identified as "D.O." has withdrawn a lawsuit against ex-Elmo voice actor Kevin Clash alleging child sexual abuse. The notice of voluntary dismissal without prejudice was filed in U.S. District Court in New York on April 15 and was obtained by E! News.

However, Clash still faces lawsuits from four other men, all claiming that Clash abused them as teenagers. The last accuser came forward only two weeks ago, and is represented by Jeff Herman, a Miami lawyer handling the cases against Clash. Earlier this month, Herman told the Baltimore Sun that "Each of these victims alleges that Kevin Clash was a father figure who groomed them with attention before engaging them in sexual contact."

Elmo voice actor Kevin Clash hit with fifth allegation of sexual abuse

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:59:00 +0000

Another man has sued Kevin Clash over allegations of child sexual abuse, making it the fifth allegation and fourth lawsuit against the disgraced Elmo voice actor. The case is being handled by lawyer Jeff Herman, who represents the other cases against Clash, and says the details of the accusation "follow the same pattern" as the others.

More on the lawsuit, from the New York Daily News:

"In papers filed in Manhattan federal court, Kevin Kiadii said he met Clash, who's 27 years Kiadii’s senior, in 2004. Kiadii, who was just 16 at the time, says he 'went on a gay telephone chat line to meet friends who were also gay,' and wound up meeting Clash, his suit says.

'Clash invited Kiadii to come to his apartment in Manhattan,' and sent a luxury car service to pick the teen up in Brooklyn, the filing says.

When he got to Clash's pad, the puppeteer plied him with 'alcohol and groomed him with attention and affection,' the suit says. They then 'engaged in sexual contact,' the suit says.

Clash's lawyer responded in a statement, calling the lawsuit "meritless" and "barred by the statute of limitations."

Elmo voice actor Kevin Clash sued over allegations of crystal meth-fueled sex parties

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:02:00 +0000

Months after Elmo voice actor Kevin Clash resigned from "Sesame Street" over accusations that he engaged in sexual acts with teenage boys, a Pennsylvania man, Sheldon Stephens, 24, is suing the puppeteer, alleging that Clash gave him drugs and engaged in sexual activity in 2008. This is the fourth lawsuit against the voice actor alleging sex abuse.

From the lawsuit, via the New York Post:

" 'On one occasion, a male chauffeur drove Clash and Sheldon to the chauffeur’s apartment, where they had a crystal meth sex party,' said the lawsuit, filed in a Pennsylvania federal court.

'While in the apartment, Clash smoked crystal meth while engaging in sexual activity with Sheldon.' "

The lawsuit comes after Stephens, the first man to publicly accuse Clash of sexual abuse late last year, later recanted his accusation and signed a statement saying that he had "an adult consensual relationship" with Clash. Stephens is stepping forward now to "save other children."

“It disgusted me inside because I knew what had happened to me,” he said. “That motivated me and my parents to reach out to ‘Sesame Street’ and kind of warn them against Kevin Clash and about him potentially harming other children."

Warner Bros. axes movie deal with Kevin Clash

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 17:30:00 +0000

Iconic Elmo voice actor Kevin Clash resigned from Sesame Street shortly after he was accused of engaging in sexual relationships with two teenage boys. Since then, another accuser has emerged, and now Vulture has learned that Warner Bros. Pictures is backing out of a movie deal with the voice actor.

Vulture notes that the studio, which has "has been moldering for decades," had been undergoing a revival of sorts, and Clash's new project could have continued that trend:

Clash had secretly been at work on a new character for the studio over this past summer and fall. It would have featured in “a ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ kind of movie about a kid and his stuffed animal that takes on a life of its own because of the child’s imagination,” according to a development document shared with Vulture summarizing the untitled project. At the time the sex scandals began to break, it was still unclear whether the Clash project was to be live action or a mix of both live action and animation, but what was certain was that the Clash project would “incorporate puppets,” per the document.

Warner Bros. is the first major Hollywood entity to distance itself from Clash, and one insider told Vulture that it's likely others will follow suit. “After all that stuff happened, the studio was like, ‘We’re never going to mention this again,’” said the insider.

h/t Vulture

Hasbro supports Elmo despite controversy

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 17:00:00 +0000

"Sesame Street" is fighting to protect the reputation of its beloved puppet, Elmo, after accepting the resignation of longtime Elmo voice actor Kevin Clash, who has been accused by two men of having sexual relations with them as teenagers.

Hasbro has released a statement to E! News supporting Sesame Street:

"Sesame Street and its wonderful characters have been entertaining and educating children and families for more than 40 years," a Hasbro spokeswoman told E! News. "We are confident that Elmo will remain an integral part of Sesame Street and that Sesame Street toys will continue to delight children for years to come."

Hasbro's Elmo dolls still on sale include the Ready for School Elmo doll, the Sesame Street Playskool Let's Rock set and LOL Elmo, a follow-up to the popular Tickle Me Elmo doll.

Kevin Clash can’t destroy Elmo

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 20:35:00 +0000

It's the most ignoble career flameout any "Sesame Street" star has ever had. In fact, amazingly, it's pretty much the only flameout in the beloved PBS series' four-decade history. On Tuesday, Kevin Clash, the voice and puppeteer of the furry red superstar known as Elmo, left the show.

Sesame Workshop released a statement saying:

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 want, 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.

Elmo voice actor accused of having sex with teenage boy

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 17:35:00 +0000

UPDATE: The 24 year old man who accused Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash of having sexual relations with him as a minor has recanted the allegations, the New York Times reports. Clash released the following statement via a spokeswoman:“I am relieved that this painful allegation has been put to rest. I will not discuss it further.”

Kevin Clash, the legendary voice behind one of Sesame Street's most beloved puppets, Elmo, has taken a leave of absence from Sesame Street after being accused of having sexual relations with a 16-year-old boy. Today, Sesame Street released a statement addressing the accusations: