Paul Reubens dies from cancer at 70

Pee-wee Herman actor and creator Paul Reubens dies from cancer at 70.

PHOTO: Paul Reubens died Sunday night by Jack Plunkett.

“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years”

Paul Reubens, the actor and comedian whose Pee-wee Herman character — an overgrown child with a tight gray suit and an unforgettable laugh — became a 1980s pop cultural phenomenon, has died at 70.

Reubens, who’s character delighted fans in the film “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” and on the TV series “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” died Sunday night after a six-year struggle with cancer that he kept private, his publicist said in a statement.

History of the Cabazon Dinosaurs, Claude K. Bell, 1960’s

“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” Reubens said in a statement released Monday 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.”

Photo: The iconic Interstate 10 attraction, Cabazon Dinosaurs, is paying tribute to the actor behind the comic character by dressing one of the resident dinos, a Tyrannosaurus rex aptly named “Mr. Rex,” as Pee-wee.

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