A new documentary just aired at the Sundance Film Festival called "Pee-Wee as Himself." It features the final interviews with Paul Reubens . . . which unveil this not-so-shocking revelation:
Pee-Wee was GAY.
In fact, a man he was dating early in his career named Guy had certain vocal tics that INSPIRED the way the Pee-Wee character spoke.
Reubens was actually OUT, until his career started taking off. He said, quote, "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 . . .
"My career would have absolutely suffered if I was openly gay." But over the course of his career, Reubens had, quote, "many, many secret relationships."
He added, quote, "I hid behind an alter ego. 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. I was conflicted about sexuality. But fame was way more complicated."
Reubens also addresses his scandals in the movie, saying, quote, "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.
"To be labeled a pariah; to have people be scared of you, or untrusting."
But Reubens actually stopped cooperating with the filmmakers over his 2001 arrest for alleged child pornography, because he was worried about how it would be covered
But he later changed his mind about the documentary, and sent the filmmakers a final audio message.
Throughout the filming, though, he never told the crew about the cancer that would eventually kill him. (People, USA Today, New York Post)
Read More HERE