Photo by Getty Images

On July 30th, beloved actor and children’s entertainer Paul Reubens passed away at the age of 70. Reubens was diagnosed with cancer years ago, but battled the disease silently from the public.

A statement was released that Reubens wrote before his death, “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.”

Reubens first created his childlike, whimsical, bow-tie wearing character Pee-wee Herman for a bit when he was a member of the Los Angeles comedy group The Groundlings in the late 1970s. Eventually, Pee-wee became a television and film sensation when the character starred in multiple tv series, most famously Pee-wee’s Playhouse, and films, including the famous 1985 hit Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.

Pee-wee Herman remained a cultural phenomenon with Paul Reubens perfect portrayal of the character until the day he died. He will be so missed by everyone. KLOS sends our love to all of Paul’s family, friends, and loved ones.