The cause of death of children’s entertainer Paul Reubens, best known for playing Pee-wee Herman, who died last month, has been revealed.
The actor died of acute myeloid leukemia, according to a death certificate obtained by The Blast. Cancers of the blood and bone marrow, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Additionally, Reubens battled metastatic lung cancer in the months before his death.
The “Pee-Wee Playhouse” actor’s death certificate further revealed that he died of “acute hypoxic respiratory failure,” which was likely caused by cancer.
Reubens was reportedly cremated and will be laid to rest at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
As Page Six previously reported, the TV star died on July 30 at the age of 70.
At the time, Reubens issued a posthumous statement apologizing for hiding his battle with cancer from the public.
“Please accept my apology for not being public about the circumstances I have faced over the past six years,” he wrote before his death. “I have always felt tremendous love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters.
“I love you all so much and love creating art for you.”
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Reubens asked that “sympathies be expressed” to his late parents, Stand Up to Cancer, or organizations “involved in dementia and Alzheimer’s care, support and research.”
The child actor rose to fame in the 1980s playing Pee-wee Herman in Tim Burton’s Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.
The film’s success landed Reubens on a CBS Saturday morning show called “Pee Wee’s Playhouse,” which aired from 1986 to 1991.
However, his fame was quickly overshadowed when he pleaded no contest to indecent exposure at a Florida movie theater in 1991.
In 2004, Reubens also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor obscenity charge – involving photos of minors engaging in sexual acts – and was sentenced to three years of probation.
Despite starring in the legal drama, Reubens continued to reprise his beloved role, bringing Herman to Broadway in 2010 and to Netflix in 2016.
