Paul Reubens Discusses His Sexuality for First Time in Final Interview Before His Death
Paul Reubens never addressed his sexuality in any public comments throughout his career, but he comes out as gay in a posthumous documentary about his life.
The beloved actor, best known for his character Pee-wee Herman, was out of the closet before he became famous, but decided to hide his sexuality amid the success he achieved.
In the new two-part HBO documentary, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, Paul discusses his relationship with his former boyfriend Guy and how his ex inspired Pee-wee Herman.
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“I was out of the closet, and then I went back in the closet,” Paul said in the doc (via the New York Post). “I wasn’t pursuing the Paul Reubens career; I was pursuing the Pee-wee Herman career.”
Paul said he had “many, many secret relationships” during his career. “I hid behind an alter ego,” he said. “I spent my entire adult life hiding I was a huge weed head.”
“I was secretive about my sexuality even to my friends [out of] self-hatred or self-preservation,” he added. “I was conflicted about sexuality. But fame was way more complicated.”
Paul also talked about his 1991 arrest for indecent exposure at an adult movie theater.
“I kept who I was a secret for a very long time,” he says. “That really backfired when I got arrested. 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.”
Paul had a crisis P.R. team who staged photos of him on dates with women. His friendship with actress Debi Mazar was also used as a shield.
Debi said in the doc, “He was my boyfriend. I know people will say, ‘He was gay!’ So what?”
Paul passed away at the age of 70 in July 2023.