Tattle: Petraeus' babe: He's role model

"I'M NOT in love with David Petraeus."

That's what Paula Broadwell, the alleged mistress of ex-CIA director Petraeus, told Arthur Kade, a Philly Man About Town and former Daily News Sexy Single, when he interviewed her in February on his website, arthurkade.com.

Federal investigators have said Broadwell sent threatening emails to Jill Kelley, a Tampa, Fla.-based woman who grew up in Philadelphia and who knows Petraeus.

Kade and Broadwell talked while Broadwell was promoting All In: The Education of General David Petraeus, the biography she wrote about Petraeus, who quit his CIA post on Friday. Kade and Broadwell discussed her time as a student at West Point, Petraeus' counterinsurgency measures when he was head of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, and Broadwell's time embedded in Afghanistan.

At one point, Kade asked Broadwell what Petraeus thought of the bio. She replied that she didn't know if Petraeus had read it but that his wife, Holly, did and had "great things to say."

Broadwell continued: "It's not a hagiography. I'm not in love with David Petraeus. But I think he does present a terrific role model for young people, for executives, for men and women, no matter what. There's a great role model there who is values-oriented, who speaks the truth to power, who shows great example of taking initiative and other qualities we should all be interested in, in ourselves and promoting in others."

She also said that Petraeus' legacy will live on. Broadwell is still correct. Petraeus' legacy will live on, but certainly not in the way she alluded to in February.

Kade, who high-fived Broadwell during the interview, described her to the Daily News as "highly intelligent, very nice."

Hold on to your TV sets, Tattlers, this one is gonna hurt.

Kevin Clash, the beloved voice behind "Sesame Street's" Elmo, is taking a leave of absence after being accused of having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy.

"I am a gay man. I have never been ashamed of this or tried to hide it, but felt it was a personal and private matter. I had a relationship with the accuser. It was between two consenting adults and I am deeply saddened that he is trying to characterize it as something other than what it was," Clash said in a statement.

The allegations were brought to light in June. Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit that produces "Sesame Street," looked into the claims but found them to be "unsubstantiated."

Neither Clash nor Sesame Workshop indicated how long Clash would be gone, but Elmo will continue to be a character on the show. Clash has been the voice of Elmo since 1984, winning 21 Emmys - four in a row in recent years - for best performer in a children's series.

"Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey," a tearjerker documentary about Clash's life, hit theaters last year and now streaming on Netflix.

Yesterday we told you that Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez have called it quits, but has the fat lady really sung?

Life & Style reports that Bieber was spotted in Gomez's hotel room on Sunday. "I saw Selena go into the hotel around 5:40 p.m. and not even three hours later, Justin went in," an eyewitness told L&S. "I saw him leave around 11 p.m."

Maybe he had a hot date. Sources are also saying that Bieber has already sought comfort in another: 19-year-old Victoria's Secret model Barbara Palvin. The rumor mill started churning earlier this month after Palvin and Biebs, who met while working the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, were spotted at "The Lion King" on Broadway.

Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong has cut all ties with the cancer-fighting charity Livestrong, resigning from its board of directors last week. Armstrong stepped down as chairman in October.

Livestrong spokeswoman Katherine McLane said Armstrong would remain the organization's "inspiration," and largest donor, having given $7 million. Armstrong was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer in 1996 and was declared cancer-free in 1997.

Is Armstrong officially ending his public life? It can only hurt the charity to have him on board. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has banned Armstrong from cycling and stripped him of his titles for using steroids, but we hope that losing the capacity to do good deeds without mention of his past indiscretions hurts just as much as his athletic losses.

" @mollyeichel