Pee-wee Herman Actor Paul Reubens Chose to Keep Cancer Battle a Secret as He Didn’t Want Fans 'to See Him as He Declined'

Fans and Hollywood alike were both shocked when Paul Reubens' team announced on July 31 that he had died from cancer at age 70, but an insider revealed he "chose to keep his illness private" for a reason.

"Only a handful of people knew he was struggling, and they were there for him until the end, giving their love and support," the source spilled to a magazine.

"He didn’t want his fans to see him as he declined," the insider continued. "Paul preferred they remember him as he was — a comedian and artist who loved to entertain them."

The comedian hinted at as much in a posthumous message, telling his admirers, "Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years."

"I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters," the star continued. "I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you."

TMZ reported he had an inoperable brain tumor, but no other details regarding his medical issues are known.

The news outlet also said the star did experience some "bad days" toward the end, but it didn't prevent from pursuing his passion, as he was working on more than one project when he died. Most notably, he sat for more than 40 hours of interviews for an upcoming HBO documentary about his famous character.

The TV icon also completed a first draft of his memoir, which is expected to still be released at some point in the future.

One source told The Globe that his book was going to be his way to finally address his scandals, which included an arrest for indecent exposure.

“He’s always felt it was wrong of authorities to charge him and it would have been dealt within his book, and no doubt in a scathing way because Paul always maintained his innocence,” an insider spilled. “He wanted to clear his name and rid himself of that shame. He wanted to come out swinging and address the elephant in the room that haunted him, and he was going to list every person who stuck by him and those who did not."

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