'Pee-wee Herman' star Paul Reubens comes out as gay in posthumous docu, fans say 'it never mattered'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Late actor Paul Reubens posthumously came out of the closet in the documentary 'Pee-wee as Himself' which premiered on Thursday, January 23, at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, reported People.
The comedian died from cancer at the age of 70 on July 30, 2023, after keeping his diagnosis private for years.
Reubens became famous for his portrayal of Pee-wee Herman, a childlike character whom he debuted in 1981 while performing with the Groundlings comedy troupe. His career took off after that as he became a regular on 'Late Night with David Letterman' from 1982 to 1985. It led to multiple films and TV series on Pee-wee, starting with 'Pee-wee’s Big Adventure' in 1985.
Paul Reubens opens up about his relationships
In the two-part HBO documentary, Paul Reubens revealed being in a relationship with a man named Guy from Echo Park, LA, before he became famous as Pee-Wee. He even attributed some of Pee-wee's iconic catchphrases to Guy's vocal tics.
Pee-wee's famous one-liner, "Mmmm! Chocolatey!" was inspired by Guy's habit of saying "Mmmm! Buttery!" in a Yoda-like voice, shared Reubens. However, he decided to keep his personal life private once he found success on screen.
"I was out of the closet, and then, I went back in the closet. I wasn’t pursuing the Paul Reubens career; I was pursuing the Pee-wee Herman career," Reuben shared in the film. He met Guy for the last time when he was dying of AIDS in a hospital.
The star admitted to having "many, many secret relationships" throughout his life.
“I hid behind an alter ego. I spent my entire adult life hiding I was a huge weed head," he recalled. “I was secretive about my sexuality even to my friends (out of) self-hatred or self-preservation. I was conflicted about sexuality. But fame was way more complicated," he said.
Fans claim to have guessed Paul Reubens' sexuality
Fans reacting to the news on the social media platform Facebook shared that they had guessed the sexuality of the beloved actor. The following comments demonstrate their takes.
"Love Paul Reubens, but I’m pretty sure we all knew he was gay & nobody cared! RIP," wrote a person.
"I always just assumed he was gay. I didn't know it was a secret, good for him on keeping any and all relationships private," shared another.
"Gay or straight, he was fn hilarious and a huge part of my childhood," noted someone else.
"I think we all knew and I don't think any of us cared. I wish he could have felt more comfortable being himself. We loved him then, we'll love him forever," expressed a fan.
"It never mattered. Loved him! He was great!" stated one individual.
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
