Paul Reubens Opens Up About His Life and Struggles in Posthumous Documentary
Paul Reubens discusses his life and struggles in the posthumous documentary Pee-wee as Himself, revealing insights into his sexuality, a secret boyfriend, and the impact of fame.
The man behind Pee-wee Herman, Paul Reubens, had a final opportunity to share insights about his personal life in the posthumous documentary premiering at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. According to Us Weekly, Reubens utilised this chance in the documentary Pee-wee as Himself to disclose details about his sexuality and his secret boyfriend.
"I was secretive about my sexuality even to my friends [out of] self-hatred or self-preservation," Reubens reveals in the documentary directed by Matt Wolf. The comedian and actor participated in approximately 40 hours of interviews that openly addressed his personal life and the pressures of fame throughout his career.
Reubens passed away in July 2023 at the age of 70 following a private battle with cancer. He commented on the documentary before his passing, clarifying his intentions very clearly.
"More than anything, the reason I wanted to make a documentary was for people to see who I really am and how painful and dreadful it was to be labelled something I wasn't," Reubens stated in an audio recording one day before his death. "To be labelled a pariah; to have people be scared of you, or untrusting."
Throughout his career, Reubens kept his sexuality private. The closest encounter with publicity regarding his personal life occurred in 1991 when he was unexpectedly arrested for indecent exposure after an incident at an adult movie theatre.
"I kept who I was a secret for a very long time. That really backfired when I got arrested," Reubens explained. "People had never seen a photo of me other than Pee-wee Herman. And all of a sudden, I had a Charlie Manson mugshot. I lost control of my anonymity. It was devastating."
He referred to the event and the subsequent public reaction as a "significant footnote" in his life, singling out the harsh judgments made about him following the arrest.
"It's shocking what horrible, awful stuff people think about me...I was out of the closet, and then I went back in the closet," he expresses. "I wasn't pursuing the Paul Reubens career, I was pursuing the Pee-wee Herman career."
