Paul Reubens

Paul Reubens, early-1980s

Paul Reubens was born Paul Rubenfeld on August 27, 1952 in Peekskill, New York, to parents Judy Rosen -- a teacher -- and Milton Rubenfeld, a car salesman who had flown in the air forces of the US, the UK, and Israel, becoming one of Israel's pioneering pilots. Paul grew up in Sarasota, Florida, where his parents owned a lamp store. He graduated from Sarasota High School in 1970, and attended Boston University for a year, before heading out to Southern California to enroll as an acting major at the California Institute of the Arts.

He was a shy, hippie-ish kid, who loved to act and draw. According to friends, his dorm room was very similar to the art we see adorning the walls of Pee-wee's Playhouse.

By all accounts, from numerous friends and family, Paul was a genuinely sweet and kind man, who made friends wherever he went. He loved people -- he had a curiosity about them, and found them fascinating, and loved animals as well -- feeding numerous animals from deer to ravens to coyotes that would venture into his yard.

What can I say about Paul that hasn't already been said? He was my hero and idol; one of the sweetest, kindest people in the world. I feel a connection to him that I just cannot describe, and he's appeared in my dreams every night, starting two nights before his passing.

Paul as his iconic character, Pee-wee Herman.

Not only was Paul sweet and kind, he was gorgeous -- and like a fine wine, just kept getting better with age.

Paul in the 2010s.

People still believe terrible things about him, and ever since his passing, these terrible things keep coming front and center. Let me drop a truth bomb on all y'all who are trying to make Paul out to be some kind of monster... he did NOT have cp. He didn't have anything obscene involving anyone under 18. He had vintage gay porn magazines -- featuring all adults -- vintage nudist magazines (all ADULTS), and gay physique magazines (all ADULTS), and bodybuilding magazines (…ALL ADULTS). The supposed cp was a photo of Paul himself as a baby, on a rug, naked –- you know, those embarrassing photos all parents take of their kids -- and yet, he ended up the victim of an anti-queer witch-hunt... the same thing that the alt-right is doing to the LGBTQ+ community today in 2023.

For the love of all things good in the world, STOP SPREADING THESE LIES AND SLANDER ABOUT PAUL.

I would do anything to bring him back, to make him healthy again. I consider him the love of my life, and I know it has to do with this strange connection. I will protect him until my dying breath, and I will continue to combat these vicious lies and slander until my dying breath as well.