Actor and comedian Paul “Pee-wee Herman” Reubens has passed away at the age of 70. His publicist announced that Reubens died on Sunday night after a six-year struggle with cancer that he kept private.



“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” Reubens said in a statement released today with the announcement of his death. “I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.”

Reubens brought his Pee-wee character to WWE TV several times. He appeared as a guest star on the November 1, 2010 RAW from Long Island, which included backstage segments and an in-ring segment with The Miz and Alex Riley. It was later announced that Reubens won a 2010 Slammy Award for Guest Star Shining Moment of the Year. The Pee-wee character returned at WrestleMania 27 in 2011, and appeared in a segment with WWE Legends Gene Okerlund and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, where he admitted to being the #1 fan of Rock’s rival, John Cena.

WWE issued the following statement on the passing of Paul "Pee Wee Herman" Reubens:

WWE is saddened to learn that Paul Reubens has passed away.

Reubens was a beloved entertainer and brought his iconic character Pee-wee Herman to WWE. In that role, he shared the screen with Superstars such as The Rock, The Miz, and Big Show.

Reubens first appeared in WWE on the Nov. 1, 2010 edition of Monday Night Raw where he had hilarious interactions with Miz and Big Show. His memorable performance earned him a Slammy Award for Guest Star Shining Moment of the Year.

He was also in attendance as Pee-wee at WrestleMania XXVII where he appeared in a segment with The Rock and “Mean” Gene Okerlund and admitted to being John Cena’s No. 1 fan.

WWE extends its condolences to Reubens’ family, friends, and fans.


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