Sheldon Stephens, the 23-year-old struggling “model” who accused Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash of having sex with him when he was 16, claims he was forced to recant his allegations and wants to clear his name.
According to TMZ, Clash agreed to pay Stephens $125,000, as long as Stephens’ lawyers released the following statement:
“He [Stephens] wants it to be known that his sexual relationship with Mr. Clash was an adult consensual relationship.”
While seeking counsel in LA, Stephens told lawyers he was pressured into recanting his story – that he cried during the final negotiations and repeatedly said that he didn’t want to sign.
Stephens insists that he’s telling the truth about his illicit affair with Clash and that he would gladly forfeit the settlement in order to restore his name.
Well his name wasn’t that great to begin with, but we’ll see where this sex scandal takes us. One guess: not Sesame Street.
2eo
SPOONFACE returns.
He should spend more time not getting “tattoos that express his soul” and more time shutting the fuck up. You lied, got caught, tried to backtrack and now you’re trying again.
Nice try, nobody supports you because you are a proven charlatan.
jerry_pritikin
I hope he does not get a cent… and TMZ is as bad as he is. They both ruined Mr.Clash’s reputation.
Dakotahgeo
A charlatan and a paid male whore who blackmailed your victim! Nice creds, twice loser (maybe many more times)!!!
hyhybt
Either, against all credibility, his accusations are true, or he’s begging for a huge libel suit.
Cam
So he took the money and agreed to say it didn’t happen and then turned around and said it happened?
I hope he hasn’t spent all the money, sounds like there will be a lawsuit.
Guillermo3
Sesame Street is brought to you today by the color Pink!
Oh! Don’t like Pink? How about some GREEN?!!
Bob LaBlah
Someone argued me down in another posting about this incident that I was blaming the victim. I read about this “victim” and I was dead right about him. He was after the money. Not only that but there is much, much more that should have been reported in this piece. It seems this queen stole over $100k worth of jewelry from a trick who had him arrested when the plane landed.
This kids nowadays are sick in the head. I feel sorry for Mr. Clash and his foolish decision to pay this guy off. Now it is out and he will definetly go out off the show with a bad reputation. I don’t see how he can possibly stay after this. When you showere these kids with gifts at an early it really does help them develop a mentality that gold and not shit is falling out of their ass and that they must be gods gift to fags.
mattcornell
Stephens’ criminal record doesn’t prove he’s lying. In fact, it’s equally likely to be evidence that his relationship with Clash was damaging. Many people who are sexually abused in their youth become fuckups. This post and this whole comment thread reeks of victim blaming.
Guillermo3
@mattcornell: Impressive,mattcornell! You’ve given an amazing display of convoluted non-reason!
mattcornell
@Guillermo3: You wanna explain what’s wrong with my reasoning?
Guillermo3
@mattcornell: Yes,mattcornell,I’ll
gladly respond to what’s wrong with your reasoning:THERE IS NONE.
beecherman
A criminal record doesn’t prove this meth head was lying, it just proves he has a pattern of not telling the truth. And in America, you are innocent until proven guilty…so at this point the victim in this twisted ordeal is Kevin Clash.
Mr. Stephens is only a victim of his own arrogance and stupidity.
jwrappaport
I can just see a new Sesame Street scene for The Count:
“One count of statutory rape…AH! AH!”
@mattcornell: Sheldon doesn’t have much credibility as far as I’m concerned: he takes hush money, publicly recants, then does a 180. It’s conceivable that he was coerced, and while his rap sheet doesn’t mean he’s lying, the types of crimes he was arrested for (grand larceny, armed robbery) reasonably suggest that Sheldon is the type of guy who would try and pull a fast one on Elmo. Let’s wait and see what evidence he produces to justify his claim.
2eo
@Guillermo3: Indeed, well said Guillermo, there is no logical or ethical reasoning behind the argument, pulling a strawman out your arse does not a good logical reason make MattCornell.
But go ahead and call me a victim blamer, possibly an undercover GOproud member, a secret muslim or whatever allows the conspiracy too continue.
tdx3fan
His “rap sheet” is crap since every single charge was either dropped or shown to be completely bogus. He has served absolutely no jail time for any offense.
@Bob LaBlah: You mean “stole” right. Since he did not do any jail time for a $250,000 “theft” and the “victim” in that case forgot that he had pretty much given him the items. Seriously, here is most likely what happened…a bad breakup followed by a much older out of touch man calling the cops and reporting items stolen for revenge. It has happened many times on a smaller scale, but when you have more money you can spend more on “stolen” items.
Its kind of funny how you all wanna overlook this part as well… “Stephens denied the jewelry was stolen but rather insisted they were “gifts.” No charges were subsequently filed against him and Pollard for his part – a self-described “very wealthy” man who has been held up “like five times” – can’t recall being robbed at knifepoint by Stephens or calling Beverly Hills cops.”
Lets just all be honest. If this was an obviously white hot guy that was involved you all would rally around and support him. Because he is Latino and of questionable hotness you want to destroy him.
Oh, and one last thing, why was there ever a $125,000 pay off offered if there was nothing more to this story than false allegations. You would think that Elmo’s fist daddy would want to clear his name not pay hush money to the kid and his lawyers (who most likely told him he had no other options than to sign and then took their 25-30%) if he was completely innocent of any and all wrongdoing. Sounds like Michael Jackson all over again.
2eo
@tdx3fan: I don’t like your race baiting. Who is “you all” exactly and whose mentioned his race at any point or even used a cover term for it?.
The correct answer is nobody. Get over yourself. Your post aches of looking for a reason to find a detrimental angle, and there isn’t one.
Stache1
A second person has now come forward….Not looking good for Mr Clash.
http://www.towleroad.com/2012/11/kevin-clash-voice-of-sesame-streets-elmo-resigns-after-second-man-comes-forward-with-underage-sex-al.html
2eo
@Stache1: Indeed, they’re all coming out the woodwork. No surprise it’s another spoonface who instead of going about it in the normal way has gone out his way to get it into TMZ and his pictures all over the place.
I still don’t buy into it. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are at least another 2 before christmas.
Guillermo3
@2eo: Thank you,2eo.This extraneous
assertion of racial bias,or racism into arguments is a serious
problem,BY NO MEANS LIMITED to tdx3fan’s comments.
Bob LaBlah
@tdx3fan: Wow. Unbelievable. You are pathetic. I doubt even the Rev. Al Sharpton (who these days of late has done a remarkable 180 degree turn in his way of presenting arguments) would have made a more ignorant statement than you. Too bad you didn’t proof read before you hit submit. I am going to declare victory for you and move on.