Pee-wee Herman star Paul Reubens’ cause of death has been revealed one month after her died at the age of 70.
The actor, best known for playing the zany, red bow-tied manchild Pee-wee Herman for nearly four decades across multiple shows and movies, died as a result of “acute hypoxic respiratory failure,” according to his death certificate obtained by The Blast.
At the time of his death, Reubens was also reportedly battling two types of cancer.
The outlet explained that the actor’s primary cause of death was “acute myelogenous leukemia,” which is a form of blood cancer that also attacks the bone marrow. Then, in the month leading up to his death, Reubens was also battling metastatic lung cancer.
As a result of this, the official document states that the actor ultimately succumbed to “acute hypoxic respiratory failure,” which occurs when “the respiratory system cannot adequately provide oxygen to the body, leading to hypoxemia.”
In Reubens’ case, this was most likely caused by the cancer.
The actor’s death certificate also noted that he had been in the Entertainment business for over 50 years.
The individual who reported the death was Reubens’ longtime assistant Allison Berry, who is listed on the death certificate as the actor’s “Advance Health Care Directive (AHCD) agent,” which is also known as a “Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care.”
Reubens, who was never married and had no children, was reportedly cremated and will be laid to rest in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where many other celebrities are buried.
The actor died on July 30 following his private battle with cancer. His death was announced along with brief, posthumous note penned by Reubens himself.
“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” Reubens wrote. “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.”
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
