Elmo won’t sit on the sidelines of this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, despite the fact that Kevin Clash, the man who’s voiced Elmo for decades, recently resigned amid allegations that he had sex with underage boys.
Macy’s rep Orlando Veras told Gothamist that the red fuzzball “will absolutely join us in the Parade… under an alternate puppeteer.”
Elmo, along with a few other Muppets from “Sesame Street,” will be a part of the annual Sesame Street float.
Veras added: “Sesame Street has been a cherished part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for almost 40 years and will continue to be part of the Parade for years to come. Current events have no bearing on Sesame’s participation in the Parade and we are confident their world-renowned, family-friendly entertainment and educational programming will continue to bring kids and families joy for decades to come.”
Last week Clash was accused of having a sexual relationship with one man, Sheldon Stephens, when Stephens was 16, and this week a new accuser, Cecil Singleton, stepped forward with his own claim that he had sex with Clash when he was 15.