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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. Keep reading to find out more… “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.
