Elmo Puppeteer Kevin Clash Resigns

The man who gave a voice to the lovable Sesame Street character Elmo has resigned.

Kevin Clash took a leave of absence earlier this month when one young man came forward claiming to have had a sexual relationship with Clash before reaching the legal age of consent. The claim was later dropped, but a second man, now in his 30s, emerged with similar claims that he engaged in a sexual relationship with Clash at age 15. He is now suing Clash in federal court, demanding more than $5 million, according to TMZ.

Clash, who worked on Sesame Street for 28 years, has since tendered his resignation. In the wake of the first allegation, Clash said that he is gay but denied breaking the consent law.

The Sesame Workshop, which produces Sesame Street, released a statement to The New York Timesregarding Clash's resignation.

"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."