OMG…I hope this isn’t true.

Elmo Puppeteer Takes Leave from “Sesame Street,” Denies Sex Allegations

The puppeteer who has played Elmo for nearly three decades has taken leave from “Sesame Street” in the wake of “unsubstantiated” underage sex allegations against him, according to Sesame Workshop.

In a statement on its website, Sesame Workshop said it received a “communication” in June from a 23-year-old man who claimed to have been in a relationship with Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash when he was 16.

The organization said it “took the allegation very seriously and took immediate action,” finding that Clash had “exercised poor judgment and violated company policy regarding internet usage and he was disciplined.”

But Sesame Workshop said that after meeting with Clash’s accuser twice it could not substantiate his claim of underage conduct.

“Kevin insists that the allegation of underage conduct is false and defamatory and he is taking actions to protect his reputation,” Sesame Workshop said. “We have granted him a leave of absence to do so.”