By Breaking Celebrity News Staff

"This is a sad day for Sesame Street," the show said Tuesday after Kevin Clash, the longtime voice behind the Elmo character, resigned in the wake of multiple accusers claiming he'd bedded them when they were underage.

The show issued a statement Tuesday saying, "Sesame Workshop’s mission is to harness the educational power of media to help all children the world over reach their highest potential.

"Kevin Clash has helped us achieve that mission for 28 years, and none of us, especially Kevin, want anything to divert our attention from our focus on serving as a leading educational organization.

"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."