Hollywood legend comes out and reveals ‘many secret relationships’ almost 2 years after death-Danni Scott-Entertainment – Metro

Paul Reubens has come out over a year after his death (Picture: Mike Windle/Getty Images for SXSW)

Paul Reubens has posthumously confirmed his sexuality after fame as Pee-wee Herman put him ‘back in the closet’.

The star died aged 70 in July 2023 in Los Angeles from acute hypoxic respiratory failure, where his body failed to provide enough oxygen.

At the time, Reubens also revealed he had been diagnosed with two types of cancer, which he had kept secret from fans for six years.

In a new documentary about his life, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival, Reubens has opened up for the first time about being gay.

With over 40 hours of interviews, Pee-wee as Himself delves into the man behind the beloved character including his ‘many, many secret relationships’.

‘I was secretive about my sexuality even to my friends [out of] self-hatred or self-preservation,’ he revealed, according to the New York Post.

Reubens rose to fame as Pee-wee Herman (Picture: John Kisch Archive/Getty Images)

He kept his relationships a secret away from the public eye (Picture: Bobby Bank/GC Images)

‘I was conflicted about sexuality. But fame was way more complicated.’

Reubens began his career in the 1970s when he joined Los Angeles comedy troupe the Groundlings, working as a comedian and stage actor.

It was in 1980 that he had his big break, launching The Pee-wee Herman Show after spending years developing the much-loved fictional character.

The stage production was sold out for months and Reubens appeared as Pee-wee in multiple films and TV appearances.

However, this success came at a price for his personal life as the star confessed: ‘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.’

Over the years he had relationships, which were kept far away from the spotlight, but his work and life as Pee-wee always came first.

It was then in 1991 that his carefully curated public image crumbled as he was arrested and pleaded no contest to indecent exposure, although he denied the initial accusation of masturbating in a movie theatre.

He was arrested in July 1991 and charged with indecent exposure (Picture: Kypros/Getty Images)

Reubens’ publicist called it a ‘homophobic witch hunt’ (Picture: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

A decade later, Reubens was once again under scrutiny over alleged possession of child pornography, which he said at the time was ‘historical art’.

The documentary and his publicist Kelly Bush Novak suggest this was a ‘homophobic witch hunt’ that misconstrued his vintage gay erotica collection.

The charges were dropped and he pleaded guilty instead to the lesser charge of possession of an obscene image.

In the documentary, he said: ‘The moment I heard someone label me as – I’m just going to say it – a paedophile, I knew it was going to change everything moving forward and backward.’

The accusations did change the public perception of Reubens, although he continued to work after this scandal — including 2016’s Netflix film Pee-wee’s Big Holiday.

He added: ‘More than anything, the reason I wanted to make a documentary was to let people see who I really am and how painful and difficult it was to be labelled something that I wasn’t.’

Part of Pee-wee as Himself sees Reubens directly addressing the allegations on camera, taped on his own without any prompting from producers.

The arrests changed public perception of him (Picture: ABC via Getty Images)

He died in July 2023 after a six year cancer battle (Picture: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

For his final sign-off, the actor said: ‘I wanted to talk about and have some understanding of what it’s like to be labelled a pariah, to have people scared of you, or unsure of you, or untrusting, or to look at what your intentions are through some kind of filter that’s not true.

‘I wanted people to understand that occasionally, where there is smoke, there isn’t always fire.’

The two-part documentary is said to be an unflinching look at Reubens, both at the height of his fame and through his downfall with over 40 hours of interviews.

However, despite revealing all to the filmmakers — including director Matt Wolf — he still withheld the truth about his cancer diagnosis.

A statement released when he died offered an apology to fans for not revealing the truth about his health.

It continued: ‘Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit.

‘A gifted and prolific talent, he will forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit.’

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