Paul Reubens, best known for playing Pee-wee Herman, reflected on his controversial past before he died in 2023.
In the upcoming HBO docuseries Pee-wee as Himself, the late actor — who died of cancer on July 30, 2023 — opened up about being labeled a “pedophile” after being arrested on charges of indecent exposure in 1999 and possessing materials depicting children under the age of 18 engaged in sexual conduct in 2002.
“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 labeled something that I wasn’t,” he says in the docuseries, which debuted at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on Thursday, Jan. 23, per The Los Angeles Times.
He continues: “The moment I heard someone label me as — I’m just going to say it — a pedophile, I knew it was going to change everything moving forward and backwards.”
In 1991, Reubens was arrested and charged with indecent exposure at an adult movie theater, a charge he pleaded no contest to. And a decade later, in 2001, his home was raided and pornographic material involving minors was reported to be discovered in his possession. The following year, he turned himself in on a misdemeanor charge of possessing materials depicting children under the age of 18 engaged in sexual conduct.
In 2004, the misdemeanor case was dropped when Reubens pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. After the case was settled, the actor spoke out about the allegations, maintaining his innocence.
Pee-wee as Himself — which is directed by Matt Wolf — is “the definitive story of the artist and performer Paul Reubens and his indelible alter ego Pee-wee Herman,” according to an official description.
“Rubens’ first film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and his children’s television series Pee-wee’s Playhouse were cultural touchstones of the 1980s,” the synopsis continues. “However, when Reubens was arrested for indecent exposure, the strict separation he created between himself and his alter ego backfired.”
In the docuseries, Reubens details “the kaleidoscopic influences that inspired his groundbreaking work, and the personal tribulations he faced to persevere as an artist. As somebody who lost control of his personal narrative in the media, Reubens found himself at odds with the documentary process. But at the end of his life, he took a leap of faith, and decided that the film should be finished.”
The new docuseries hypothesizes that the late actor’s legal troubles — and its media coverage — stemmed from bias against Reubens for being homosexual, according to the LA Times.
While referring to the second arrest, publicist Kelly Bush Novak claims, “This was a homophobic witch hunt,” per the outlet.
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After Reubens distanced himself from the project and delayed his final interview, a title card explains, “The day before he died, he decided to record audio on his own.”
“I wanted to talk about and have some understanding of what it’s like to be labeled 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,” Reubens shares in the recording. “I wanted people to understand that occasionally, where there is smoke, there isn’t always fire.”
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