Democratic Sen. Al Franken (Minn.) has been edited out of "David Letterman: The Mark Twain Prize special" just days after he was accused of sexual misconduct.
The PBS special is set to air Monday night as a celebration of American humor, and the "Saturday Night Live" alum did participate in the event, but will no longer have a substantive role in the program, Page Six reported.
A PBS representative told TVLine that Franken will be visible for a brief moment "in the finale shot when all the cast" come on stage with Letterman.
The network released a statement on Sunday to TVLine:
PBS will air "David Letterman: The Mark Twain Prize" on Monday evening. Senator Al Franken participated in the event, but will not appear substantially in the PBS program … PBS and WETA, the producing station, felt that the inclusion of Senator Franken in the broadcast at this time would distract from the show’s purpose as a celebration of American humor.
Franken was accused on Thursday of forcibly kissing model and sports commentator Leeann Tweeden in 2006 during a USO tour. She also released a photo of Franken groping her while she slept.
The Minnesota Senator issued a public and personal apology, which she accepted.