Paul Reubens' cause of death revealed as hypoxic respiratory failure
Paul Reubens' cause of death has been revealed as hypoxic respiratory failure.
According to a death certificate obtained by People on Friday, the Pee-wee Herman actor died on 30 July at age 70 from acute hypoxic respiratory failure. This condition occurs when the respiratory system cannot provide enough oxygen to the body.
The underlying cause of death was listed as acute myelogenous leukaemia, a blood and bone marrow cancer.
Prior to his death, Paul had also been diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer, meaning it had spread to his lungs.
When the actor's death was first announced in July, a message posted to his social media stated, "Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit."
It continued, "A gifted and prolific talent... he will forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit."
The announcement also included a quote from the comedian addressing his fans directly.
"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. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you," the quote read.
The performer debuted his iconic character in The Pee-wee Herman Show stage production in the early '80s and made the transition to feature films with 1985's Pee-wee's Big Adventure.
He reprised the role for the films Big Top Pee-wee and 2016's Pee-wee's Big Holiday, his final movie role, as well as the TV series Pee-wee's Playhouse, which ran from 1986 to 1990.
Outside of Pee-wee, Reubens worked on films including 1996's Matilda and 1993's The Nightmare Before Christmas.
