Paul Reubens
1952 - 2023
One of the most gifted comedians and children's entertainers has passed away after a long battle with cancer that none of his fans knew about until this message from Mr. Reubens was shared with the announcement of his death.
"Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years. I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you."
As a child of the 80's, I and every kid that I grew up with watched Pee Wee's Playhouse on Saturday mornings, and we loved watching his movies. The Pee Wee Herman character that he brought to life continues to bring joy to millions to this day, as evident by the jam packed lot at the Mahoning Drive-In Theater for a screening of Pee Wee's Big Adventure less than two months ago. The pure joy that we all had in watching his movie on the big screen was overwhelming as fans of all ages became children again as they laughed along with his adventures on the big screen. I wish that he could have been there to see just how much his work is appreciated after all these years.
You don't owe anyone an apology, Mr. Reubens. You lived this life on your own terms, and you brought smiles to faces and laughter to the air of everywhere that you went. Thank you for being you.
