Source(s): NY Post, WENN

Last week we told you that Roscoe Orman a.k.a Elmo’s right-hand-man Mr. Gordon from popular children’s television program, Sesame Street left his partner of 40 years and married a much younger woman. During an interview, Sharon revealed that Roscoe left her destitute, to be evicted from the New Jersey townhouse they once shared. To make matter worse, she says that he’s refused to have anything to do with their children since he left. Now, Sharon is ringing the alarm letting the public know that this isn’t the first time that the Sesame Street star has been unfaithful.

In an interview with the NY Post, Sharon dropped the bomb that she received legal papers in the mail 27 years ago, while she was pregnant with their third child, alleging that her then-partner fathered another child.

“I was pregnant with my third kid. We were ecstatic. Then a paternity suit arrived in the mail. I’m pregnant, and another woman in a different state is pregnant at the same time,” said Sharon.

According to the Post, court records indicate that child support complaints were filed against Roscoe in New Jersey and Washington on behalf of a woman named Deborah Hill. A 1988 article by the Post also reported on Roscoe’s child support woes, revealing that he was required to pay Deborah $5,000 in back child support for their daughter Kalah, as well as monthly payments of $200.

Sharon adds that Deborah was on welfare after she got pregnant. She also says that Roscoe paid child support to Deborah until Kalah turned 18 and then put her through college. Sharon and Roscoe remained a couple through all of this and even had another daughter together.

You’re probably wondering why she stuck around. When asked by her interviewer why she never left, she replied:

“I wasn’t going to jump up and leave my family.”

Too bad Roscoe didn’t share those sentiments.

Remember Willie Dynamite, the pimp from the blaxploitation film? No? What about Gordon from Sesame Street? Of course you do. Well, turns out that Gordon, whose real name is Roscoe Orman, might be less like Mr. Gordon and more like that pimp Willie. Orman spent 40 years with Sharon Orman though the two never married. (No word as to how she got that last name without being married to him.) In 2010, after 40 years and four children, Sharon found pictures of a younger woman on Roscoe’s phone.  That woman was Kimberley Lamarque the woman who would become Roscoe’s wife after just two years.

Ain’t that something.

Since then, Sharon has said that Roscoe has had no contact with either she or their children. As you might imagine, Sharon is not happy about his disappearance. Here’s what she told The New York Post:

“I want people to know he’s been living a double life,” Sharon told us. “I gave up my career to raise the kids and never cheated on him. I am the one who made him a ‘Sesame Street’ dad. This is what I get after 40 years? You can leave me now?”  

And she does have a good reason to be upset. Sharon says that she as evicted from the New Jersey townhouse they once shared. Now, she’s arguing that she’s entitled to spousal support and has filed a complaint to that affect in the New Jersey Superior Court. She says she was named his wife on mortgages, deeds and tax filings. Sharon has no savings and no financial clout to start over.

Isn’t this a tragic story? As sorry as we feel for Sharon, it’s a shame she didn’t think to one ask for some type of ring or commitment or to stack that Sesame Street money while they were living together for four decades.

What do you make of this story, does Sharon deserve spousal support?

Joseph Marzullo/WENN.com

It has been a few months since we’ve heard anything about the lawsuits pending against ex-Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash but that doesn’t mean the wheels haven’t been turning.

His lawyer Michael Berger filed a brief in the New York Federal Court on Friday claiming statute of limitations should be applicable in all three cases.  He states:

“There are two applicable types of statutes of limitations, a six-year one based on when the right of action has accrued, and a three-year one based on when the alleged victim turned eighteen and was therefore no longer under the disability of being a minor.”

With that in mind, he went on to say that all three men – Cecil Singleton who said he first came in contact with Clash in 2003, “John Doe” who said his relationship began in 2000 and S.M., who said his affair with Clash happened in the mid-90s -would have had to file their lawsuits in 2009, 2006 and 2001, respectively to fit in the first option of the statute or in 2009, 2003 and 2001, respectively, to fit into the second statute.

It should be noted, and was pointed out by attorney Jeff Herman who represents all three men he spoke to E! Online, that there is no denial on Clash’s part of sexual misconduct:

“It should be noted his motion does not say the abuse did not happen, just that it is too late to file the complaints.  The law we are proceeding under recognizes the rights of victims to bring their lawsuits within six years from the time they connect their injuries to the abuse. We are hopeful the Court will see it our way, however, by being able to bring their claims forth publicly the victims are already further along in the healing process.”

That is, indeed, interesting as is the fact that none of the alleged victims are seeking that criminal charges be brought up against Clash. These are all civil suits seeking financial damages.

If this goes to trial, it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

PNP/WENN.com

Just a little over a week ago, allegations dropped that famed puppeteer Kevin Clash, who has been behind beloved characters like bass playing Clifford from “The Jim Henson Hour,” Baby Sinclair from the popular show “Dinosaurs” and of course, Elmo, had a relationship with an underage gentleman. Since then, Clash and his defense team have been very clear that they’re ready to fight the allegations as they said that while he did have a relationship with the accuser, Sheldon Stephens, they dated after the young man was of age. By the end of last week, Stephens recanted his claims, and then later claimed he was paid off and didn’t want to take back what he said. You would think that with the accuser’s credibility looking very tired at this point that Clash would be somewhere in good spirits, but today he spent the morning parting ways with the folks at the Sesame Workshop. According to a blog on The New York Times, after nearly 30 years of working for them, Clash decided that he could no longer be effective in his role with the company because of the negative attention surrounding him and resigned.

He probably came to this conclusion after reports came out that there is a second man saying he had an underage sexual relationship with the puppeteer. According to TMZ, the second accuser, Cecil Singleton, has come forward to say he had a relationship with Clash some 20 odd years ago but just came out about it because he “did not become aware that he had suffered adverse psychological and emotional effects from Kevin Clash’s sexual acts and conduct until 2012.”

While it remains to be seen what exactly will happen to Kevin Clash with all these new claims and reports coming out, according to The New York Times, Elmo will continue on as cash cow and pretty much the most famed puppet they have on Sesame Street. Someone else will fill the role of puppeteer for the beloved red monster and with the help of Clash, the company had already pinpointed people that could take over for him (maybe Clash was considering retiring soon?), and they had started to do so when allegations first came out. But at this point, everyone is asking how Clash’s reputation, which has been tarnished by the either true claims or malicious lies of a few, will affect the Sesame Street brand, particularly the character of Elmo. Will parents still be able to watch the show, check out “Elmo’s World” with their children and feel okay about it? Will they buy Elmo products more or less? Time will tell. If the allegations are false, hopefully Clash can have his name cleared (the claims just seem really shady since they’re coming around the same time and for the purpose of collecting money), but if they’re true, he’ll have to deal with the consequences and I’m pretty sure Elmo’s popularity will take an even bigger hit. But as someone who used to LOVE Elmo as a kid, and went on to be very fond of Clash after watching the documentary on his life, Being Elmo, I have to admit that this is a very sad day indeed for Muppet lovers everywhere.

Here’s a clip of Singleton making his case at a press conference today. Are you surprised Clash resigned? Was it the appropriate move at this point?

Source: Necolebitchie.com

Just when you thought it was over, Sheldon Stephens strikes again. During the last couple of weeks, media outlets have been on fire with news surrounding accusations made by 23-year-old aspiring model, Sheldon Stephans against Kevin Clash, Elmo puppeteer claiming that Clash had sexual involvement with him while he was underage. Last Tuesday we reported that Stephans came out and recanted his statement regarding Clash’s sexual misconduct and stating that any relations that occurred between the two happened after he was of consenting age.

As if that wasn’t confusing enough, TMZ has a new twist to add to this never ending tale. It seems that Stephen’s now wants to “undo” the settlement that he agreed to, which awarded him with $125,000 in exchange for the following:

“Stephens agrees that immediately upon execution of this Agreement, his counsel, Andreozzi & Associates, P.C., shall release the [following] statement … ‘He [Stephens] wants it to be known that his sexual relationship with Mr. Clash was an adult consensual relationship.’”

Now, Sheldon is meeting with lawyers in Los Angeles because he felt that he was “pressured” into recanting his allegations that the Elmo puppeteer slept with him while he was sixteen and that the two did actually have a sexual relationship while he was underage. He claims that he is willing to return the $125,000 to Clash if it means his name will be restored, which is ironic since no one even knew his name prior to this controversy. He also shared that he became extremely emotional during negotiations and kept crying saying that he did not wish to sign the settlement deal.

I would say that this guy is going through the motions because he feels he can get way more out of this than $125,000 or even that he’s simply loving the media attention and wants to stay relevant, but honestly, none of us were there so who know how it all actually went down. Sheldon could very well be telling the truth or he could be lying. Regardless, Clash’s name has been trotted through the mud once again and will probably always be tainted by this scandal in the eyes of the public. One can only hope that the truth prevail over lies and that both men are eventually able to move on with their lives.

Jazmine Denise is a writer living in New York. Follow her on Twitter @jazminedenise

Source: Necolebitchie.com

Over the last few days, media outlets have been buzzing with news surrounding the false claims made by Sheldon Stephons that Kevin Clash, the voice and personality behind popular Sesame Street character Elmo had sexual relations with him while he was underage. On Tuesday we reported that after making such an explosive claim, Stephon recanted his statement and revealed that his relationship with Clash occurred after he was of consenting age and that he was a willing participant. Unfortunately, the damage was already done and the Elmo visionary was forced to take a leave of absence from the show and his name was tarnished with scandal, something he may never completely recover from. Many were outraged and wondered why the 24-year-old would come out and tell such a damaging lie, but as we learn more and more about the accuser, things are beginning to make a little more sense. This morning the New York Post is shedding light on who Sheldon Stephans actually is and exposing his sketchy past.

For starters, he is an aspiring model, however there is no evidence of him ever working with any credible agency. He has also developed quite the rap sheet. According to the The Smoking Gun, his most serious offense is when he was arrested back in 2009 for allegedly robbing his former boss at knifepoint for a $250,000 gold necklace after being fired from an internship.

Criminal charges were initially filed against Stephens in a Pennsylvania court, where a judge ordered him held in lieu of $15,000 bail. The criminal complaint notes that a Beverly Hills Police Department detective told Pennsylvania investigators that he “would be filing charges in Beverly Hills for theft and other charges.”

Charges against Stephons were dropped two weeks later.

It was also revealed that the accuser’s mother is no stranger to crime herself as she was charged for allegedly stabbing her husband with scissors back in 2011.

We hope that Kevin Clash’s good name can be restored and that this trouble young man seeks professional help — or finds a jail cell to chill in.

Jazmine Denise is a writer living in New York. Follow her on Twitter @jazminedenise

Source: AP Images

Yesterday, when I found out that puppeteer Kevin Clash, the man who’s largely responsible for Sesame Street’s Elmo, had been accused of carrying on a sexual relationship with an underage boy, my heart hurt. The news literally messed up my morning.

But now, at the news that the man who accused Clash, has recanted his statement, saying that the relationship was both adult and consensual, I can breathe a huge sigh of relief. I was going to exaggerate and say my faith in humanity had been restored, but then I thought about how mean spirited and vicious this man must have been to falsely accuse Clash of this type of relationship, knowing his career is centered around entertaining children.

Even though this anonymous man has recanted his statement, the damage has already been done. Kevin’s name has already been slandered, his reputation has already been compromised and his legacy a bit tarnished by a bold faced lie. While I’m happy the Mr. Anon decided to come clean, I’m saddened by the fact that he even had to take it there in the first place because we all know that bad news travels 20 times faster than good news.

Hopefully, people will get the full story and Clash can go back to doing the work he’s done so well for the past 30+ years.

Source: AP Images

Kevin Clash doesn’t have to worry about how to get to Sesame Street for a while because the beloved voice of Elmo is involved in a major scandal right now. The 55-year-old who has been the voice of the popular red puppet since 1984 has been accused of having a sexual relationship with an underage boy and has subsequently been placed on a leave of absence.

According to a statement from Sesame’s Workshop:

In June of this year, Sesame Workshop received a communication from a then 23 year old man who alleged that he had a relationship beginning when he was 16 years old with Kevin Clash, a Sesame Workshop puppeteer who performs as Elmo.

We took the allegation very seriously and took immediate action. We met with the accuser twice and had repeated communications with him. We met with Kevin, who denied the accusation. We also conducted a thorough investigation and found the allegation of underage conduct to be unsubstantiated. Although this was a personal relationship unrelated to the workplace, our investigation did reveal that Kevin exercised poor judgment and violated company policy regarding internet usage and he was disciplined.

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

Elmo is bigger than any one person and will continue to be an integral part of Sesame Street to engage, educate and inspire children around the world, as it has for 40 years.

This news is obviously a major blow to Clash’s legacy. He is, or perhaps was, approaching 30 years as the voice of Elmo and has won a number of awards for his work with Sesame Street,  including 10 Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Performer in a Children’s Series. When TMZ asked the actor, who was previously married and is the father of one daughter, about the situation he told the site:

“I had a relationship with [the accuser].  It was between two consenting adults and I am deeply saddened that he is trying to make it into something it was not.”

You do have to question the motive of this man coming forward wth this allegation seven years after their relationship supposedly began. This story definitely has the potential to be evidence a lover’s quarrel gone wrong. I definitely hope this story isn’t true.

You remember when the little muppet who took the internet by storm when she sang about how much she loved her naturally kinky, curly hair? Well now she’s back with another message of positivity for children and adults alike. This time the brown muppet is singing about all the possibilities that life has to offer her. Which careers she can pursue, and where she envision herself in the future.

Like the “I Love My Hair” song, “Change The World” was written by Joey Mazzarino and is just as inspiring.

Check out the video below.

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You may or may not have known the man behind Sesame Street’s most famous character is black. Although Kevin Clash wasn’t the first puppeteer to work with Elmo, he’s certainly taken the red monster the farthest. Clash’s own personal journey is quite interesting, so much so that there’s a documentary that was first screened in January of this year. The film is still being screened in various locations around the country. Check out a trailer from the documentary below.