The man who accused Kevin Clash, the beloved voice of Sesame Street's Elmo, of having sex with him while he was still underage has gone back on his story. It's safe to like Elmo again! 

The New York Times' Brian Stelter broke the news over Twitter: The accuser's lawyer sent out a statement saying "he wants it to be known that his sexual relationship with Mr. Clash was an adult consensual relationship." Clash is staying tight-lipped about the ordeal. His statement was long enough to fit in a single tweet. "I am relieved that this painful allegation has been put to rest. I will not discuss it further," he said in a statement. 

The accuser allegedly came to Sesame Street's lawyers over the summer and told them they had sex  when he was only 16-years-old. The accuser is now 23, and we know the two carried on a relationship when he was 18 because of the icky email that was leaked. 

The age of consent in New York is 17, and that's where Sesame Street is filmed, so a lot of people were nervous their memories of a childhood hero could be tarnished by something so gross. Clash was also the subject of a popular 2011 documentary about his life as a furry red puppet and he remains a pretty popular guy, if the vibe on Twitter is any indication.

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at connorbsimpson at gmail dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.