In a powerful posthumous documentary "Pee-wee as Himself," actor Paul Reubens confronts the painful memories of being wrongly labeled a pedophile before his death in July 2023. The documentary, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, features Reubens' raw final audio recording made just one day before his passing.
"More than anything, I wanted to make this documentary to let people see who I really am and how painful and difficult it was to be labeled something that I wasn't," Reubens reveals in the film. The beloved Pee-wee Herman actor discusses two controversial incidents that damaged his reputation - a 1991 arrest for indecent exposure at an adult theater and a 2002 charge related to possessing materials depicting minors.
The documentary, directed by Matt Wolf, explores how media coverage and public perception severely impacted Reubens' life and career. His publicist Kelly Bush Novak specifically addresses the 2002 incident as "a homophobic witch hunt." The film suggests that bias against Reubens' sexuality, which he kept private throughout his career, may have influenced the intense scrutiny he faced.
In his final audio recording, Reubens makes a poignant plea for understanding: "I wanted people to understand that occasionally, where there is smoke, there isn't always fire." He describes the challenging experience of being viewed as a pariah and having people question his intentions through a distorted lens.
The documentary also reveals previously unknown aspects of Reubens' personal life, including his decision to keep his sexuality private while pursuing his career as Pee-wee Herman. After initially being out, Reubens chose to step back into the closet as his fame grew.
Reubens passed away from cancer on July 30, 2023, at age 70, after keeping his diagnosis private. The documentary serves as his final opportunity to share his truth and address the misconceptions that haunted his later years.