Did Paul Reubens Ever Get Married or Have Kids?

The two-part documentary “Pee-Wee as Himself” will be released on HBO and Max on May 23. Created from over 40 hours of interviews, footage, and thousands of photos, viewers will finally see Paul Reubens and his alter ego as never before. Sadly, Reubens himself didn’t live long enough to see how it turned out.

The 70-year-old actor died on July 30, 2023, after privately fighting cancer for six years. Reubens was extremely private about his intimate life. Many fans hope to discover more about the elusive man in the new documentary. Was he ever married? Did he have kids? While the answer to both questions is a simple no, the documentary presents more depth and insight into Reubens’ life.

He Claimed He Once Had a ‘Temporary Marriage License’ With Chandi Heffner

While Reubens was never officially married, he once claimed to Vanity Fair that he had exchanged wedding vows in a mock ceremony with Doris Duke’s adopted daughter, Chandi Heffner. “I still have the temporary marriage license signed by Imelda Marcos,” he said.

In 2018, Debi Mazar discussed her relationship with Reubens, telling Andy Cohen that the two had dated, but it was platonic. “We were best friends, and the truth of the matter is that we had a love affair that was just cerebral, and it was great,” she admitted. “We spent a year or two inseparable. Driving everywhere, doing everything together. He’s fantastic.”

Reubens never had any children either, but it seems like fatherhood was something he thought would come one day. According to Vanity Fair, he wanted to have kids someday. But at the time of the interview, he was already 46 and feeling that he was getting too old to be a dad.

Pee-wee Herman Star Paul Reubens Said He Went ‘Back in the Closet’ Amid Fame

Perhaps one of the biggest bombshells from the “Pee-Wee as Himself” doc involves Reubens opening up about his personal life. In one of his interviews with director Matt Wolf, he admits that he was “secretive about [his] sexuality even to [his] friends,” he said. “[It was] self-hatred or self-preservation. I was conflicted about sexuality. But fame was way more complicated.”

He acknowledged having had a boyfriend named Guy when he was younger. Unfortunately, Reubens’ love life took a backseat as Pee-Wee Herman became more popular. “I was out of the closet, and then I went back in the closet,” he said in the documentary. “I wasn’t pursuing the Paul Reubens career, I was pursuing the Pee-wee Herman career.”