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Elmo Puppeteer 'Paid Off' Accuser in Sex Scandal

Kevin Clash reportedly paid $125K for ex to recant his story

By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 17, 2012 3:50 PM CST

(Newser) – Seems the Elmo sex scandal is far from over. Kevin Clash, the puppeteer who breathes life into Elmo, paid a young accuser $125,000 to recant his story about being under-aged when the two were lovers, TMZ reports. The gossip site unearthed an agreement in which Clash told the man, Sheldon Stevens, to call their relationship "adult" and "consensual" in return for the payoff.

"Stephens agrees that immediately upon execution of this Agreement," Stephens' attorney will say that Stephens "wants it to be known that his sexual relationship with Mr. Clash was an adult consensual relationship," the document states. Adding fuel to the fire, insiders tell TMZ that Stephens was pressured into signing the agreement and cried during the last negotiations. No word so far from Clash's lawyer. Click for more details.

In this Jan. 24, 2011 file photo, Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash poses with the Sesame Street muppet in the Fender Music Lodge during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
In this Jan. 24, 2011 file photo, Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash poses with the "Sesame Street" muppet in the Fender Music Lodge during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.   (AP Photo/Victoria Will, File)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 38 comments
acegammer5
Nov 19, 2012 8:13 AM CST
When did TMZ get to be a "legit" news agency, and how can I go back to a time before it was?
bronzekid91
Nov 19, 2012 6:00 AM CST
You're all dumb , okay he paid it off , he didn't who cares . The Elmo franchise doesn't get stained in any way shape or form , if anything I would have thought most of us adults would know better by now. Lets move on.
HANKHILL
Nov 18, 2012 2:40 PM CST
elmo is a creep!
 

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