‘Pee-wee Herman Show’ star Paul Reubens’ official cause of death revealed
The cause of death of Paul Reubens, the children’s entertainer best known for his role as Pee-wee Herman, has been revealed, who died last month.
According to a death certificate obtained by The Blast, the actor died of acute myeloid leukemia, a blood and bone marrow cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Additionally, in the months leading up to his death, Reubens was also battling metastatic lung cancer.
The ‘Pee-wee’s Playhouse’ alum’s death certificate further revealed that he succumbed to ‘acute hypoxic respiratory failure’, which was most likely caused by cancer.
Reubens was reportedly cremated and will rest at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
As Page Six previously reported, the TV star died on July 30 at the age of 70.
At the time, Reubens released a posthumous statement, apologizing for keeping his battle with cancer a secret.
“Please accept my apologies for not going public with what I have faced for the past six years,” he wrote before his death. “I have always felt a tremendous amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters.
“I loved you all so much and enjoyed creating art for you.”
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Reubens asked that any ‘expressions of sympathy’ be made in honor of his late parents to Stand Up to Cancer or organizations ‘involved in the care, support and research of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease’ .
The child star rose to fame in the 1980s as Pee-wee Herman in the Tim Burton-directed film ‘Pee-wee’s Big Adventure’.
The film’s success led Reubens to air a Saturday morning CBS show called “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” which aired from 1986 to 1991.
However, his rise to fame was quickly eclipsed in 1991 after he failed to contest an indecent display at a Florida movie theatre.
In 2004, Reubens also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor obscenity charge — involving photographs of minors engaged in s****l behavior — and was sentenced to three years probation.
Despite the legal drama, Reubens continued to land roles as his beloved character, bringing Herman to Broadway in 2010 and to Netflix in 2016.
