# Paul Reubens (posthumously) comes out **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** documentary-bio\ **Created:** [January 26, 2025, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419 "2025-01-26T06:50:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419/1 "2025-01-26T06:50:49Z")
> **['Pee-wee Herman' Star Paul Reubens Comes Out as Gay in Posthumous...](https://people.com/pee-wee-herman-star-paul-reubens-comes-out-as-gay-in-posthumous-documentary-8780400)** > > Paul Reubens, best known for playing Pee-wee Herman, came out as gay in HBO's posthumous documentary, 'Pee-wee as Himself', which debuted on Jan. 23 at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival It’s sad that he never felt comfortable revealing who he really was when he was alive, but better late than never. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419/2 "2025-01-26T07:23:15Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > but better late than never Are you sure? I think after death really is too late. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419/3 "2025-01-26T08:26:03Z")
I mean, he could’ve taken it to the grave with him instead of making sure the world found out after he was gone. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419/4 "2025-01-26T08:56:46Z")
Why does it matter if we know or not? What matters is if he was comfortable with it in himself, and presumably by keeping it secret he struggled. Telling us now doesn’t encourage others to come out sooner, and more importantly, why let us know at all? It’s none of our business. I guess I am contradicting myself. Maybe I’m not explaining myself very well. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419/5 "2025-01-26T09:01:44Z")
It does put a weird twist on his arrest, though. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419/6 "2025-01-26T09:27:11Z")
That it does. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419/7 "2025-01-26T09:46:10Z")
There were people who never realized this?!? 🤨 ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419/8 "2025-01-26T13:33:31Z")
Why should anyone care other than that he was funny as all hell? ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419/9 "2025-01-26T14:14:47Z")
I don’t think anyone is surprised. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419/10 "2025-01-26T14:37:59Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > There were people who never realized this?!? Why would we realize this? Are you saying there’s something to gaydar after all? That you can tell just by looking? Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419/11 "2025-01-26T15:05:39Z")
I guess it really is no surprise that he remained silent. His TV show was geared toward children, and we have witnessed how certain segments of our populace treats gay people who have the audacity to be anywhere near children. Being tarred with the terms “pedophile” and “groomer” would have been awful for him. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419/12 "2025-01-26T16:31:41Z")
You’re easily intrigued. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419/13 "2025-01-26T18:21:09Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > His TV show was geared toward children, and we have witnessed how certain segments of our populace treats gay people who have the audacity to be anywhere near children. Though the show went to some interesting places, sexuality-acceptance-wise…. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/6B6bXWuKWW0/hqdefault.jpg "Pee Wee's playhouse fruit salad wedding") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B6bXWuKWW0) ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419/14 "2025-01-26T18:25:32Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > You’re easily intrigued. I have an innate and strong sense of curiosity. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419/15 "2025-01-26T20:02:22Z")
Getting caught with downloaded kiddy porn\*, if gay, would have been much worse for him than it already was. \*inadvertent, according to him, which I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2025, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419/16 "2025-02-01T00:42:36Z")
Honestly, since he didn’t come out by the time he was solidly in the entertainment legend who doesn’t need to do anything but be himself-era, I just assumed he was Ace. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2025, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419/17 "2025-02-01T01:25:30Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > There were people who never realized this?!? 🤨 I had no idea, nor did I really find myself all that curious about the topic. This reminds of Werner Herzog, who went many years not thinking about or realizing John Waters is gay. Very cute story: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/m9P_sxaaMJE/hqdefault.jpg "Werner Herzog discovers John Waters is Gay") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9P_sxaaMJE) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2025, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419/18 "2025-02-01T01:34:31Z")
Paul Reubens was gay, but Pee-wee was definitely straight, After all, he was on The Dating Game! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/wnLAxao0j6Q/maxresdefault.jpg "Pee Wee Herman on The Dating Game 1979") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnLAxao0j6Q) ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2025, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419/19 "2025-02-01T01:45:44Z")
That was my assumption as well. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419/20 "2025-05-23T02:26:52Z")
> “Pee-wee as Himself” premieres on HBO/ [**Max**](https://www.prf.hn/click/camref:1011lqSFc/pubref:tomsguide-us-5366568547298044288/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.max.com%2F) with both parts of the doc running back-to-back on **Friday, May 23** from **8 p.m. ET/ PT**. > **[Where to watch 'Pee-wee as Himself' online – stream Paul Reubens doc from...](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/hbo-max/watch-pee-wee-as-himself-online)** > > All about the life and career of actor and comedian Paul Reubens. Who? Pee-wee Herman of course Reviews: > **[‘It was thrilling and combative’: inside a revealing Pee-wee Herman documentary](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/may/21/pee-wee-herman-paul-reubens-documentary)** > > The singular comedian gave 40 hours of interviews to film-maker Matt Wolf for an intimate and often challenging two-part portrait [https://www.npr.org/2025/05/21/nx-s1-5405463/pee-wee-as-himself-paul-reubens-nine-perfect-strangers-couples-therapy](https://www.npr.org/2025/05/21/nx-s1-5405463/pee-wee-as-himself-paul-reubens-nine-perfect-strangers-couples-therapy) [https://apnews.com/article/movie-review-peewee-as-himself-00df20f158f4ab106312d4160558fd80](https://apnews.com/article/movie-review-peewee-as-himself-00df20f158f4ab106312d4160558fd80) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-reubens-posthumously-comes-out/1013419.md?page=2)