'Pee-Wee Herman' Star Paul Reubens' Shocking Arrests Exposed Following Comedian's Death at 70
July 31 2023, Published 4:55 p.m. ET
Paul Reubens, known for playing Pee-Wee Herman, was plagued by scandal prior to his death, RadarOnline.com has learned.
On Sunday evening, Reubens passed away at age 70 following a six-year secret battle with cancer.
Over the last ten years, Reubens kept a low-profile following multiple brushes with the law over indecent exposure and possession of child pornography.
Shortly after Reubens brought his infamous child-like character to television in 1986 with Pee-wee's Playhouse, the actor was arrested at an adult theatre in Sarasota, Florida, for indecent exposure.
In July 1991, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Department raided the South Trail Cinema. Upon busting into the adult film house, three men were arrested for indecent exposure. A fourth, Reubens, was arrested for allegedly openly masturbating in the theatre.
Reubens was at the peak of his Pee-Wee Herman success when the incident took place. The late actor allegedly tried to have his charges reduced by offering to come dressed as his famous character to a children's benefit, which officers denied.
To avoid going to trial, Reubens pleaded no contest to indecent exposure charges.
Reubens later claimed in a 2010 interview for Playboy that he was not touching himself — and said he had experts to back up his claims.
Reubens, who was right-handed, claimed officers said he was touching himself with his left hand at the adult theatre.
"Had we gone to trial, we had ready an expert from the Masters and Johnson Institute who was going to testify that in 30 years of research on masturbation, the institute had never found one person who masturbated with his or her non-dominant hand," Reubens said at the time.
Shortly after Reuben's 2010 Playboy interview, the comedian once again made headlines when he was charged with possession of child pornography following a raid on his house.
In 2014, Los Angeles Police Department raided Reuben's home following a complaint against his friend and fellow actor Jeffrey Jones, who was accused of "criminal acts of a sexual nature" by a then-15-year-old boy.
LAPD removed pornographic materials of minors from both Reuben's and Jones' homes when the search warrants were conducted.
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At the time, Reuben's attorney maintained that the actor was innocent and the materials found were "erotic art" from the comedian's "extensive collection."
"Paul is very nervous, very fearful at this point," an insider claimed in 2014. "Naturally, he and Jones were both hopeful that nothing would ever come of the police inquiry. But the police were persistent in following up on the allegations."
Jones's attorney, Jeff Brodey, claimed the raid was only about "photos" and that there weren't allegations of "any touching or any improper acts with a minor."
Reuben's possession of child pornography was dropped in exchange for pleading guilty to an obscenity charge.
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