Editing Paul Reubens (section)

== Legal issues ==
=== 1991 arrest ===
In July 1991, Reubens was arrested in [[Sarasota, Florida]], for [[indecent exposure]] while watching a film at a [[porno theater]].<ref name="sympathy">{{cite magazine |last=Burr |first=Ty |date=August 14, 1991 |title=Pee-wee Herman' and Sympathy |url=https://ew.com/article/1991/08/16/pee-wee-herman-scandal/ |url-status=live |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090130030459/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,315140,00.html |archive-date=January 30, 2009 |access-date=October 12, 2008 }}</ref> During an unexpected police inspection, a detective detained Reubens, along with three others, as he was preparing to leave. When detectives examined his driver's license, Reubens told them "I'm Pee-wee Herman" and offered to perform a children's benefit for the sheriff's office "to take care of this".<ref name="report">{{cite news |date=August 4, 1991 |title=Reports says Pee-wee offered benefit |work=The Victoria Advocate |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xocLAAAAIBAJ&pg=4829,843709 |url-status=dead |access-date=October 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728073738/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xocLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WFYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4829%2C843709 |archive-date=July 28, 2020 |via=[[Google News]] }}</ref> The next day, after a local reporter recognized Reubens's name, Reubens's attorney extended the same offer to the ''[[Sarasota Herald-Tribune]]'' in exchange for withholding the story.<ref name="report" /> On the night of the arrest, Reubens traveled to [[Nashville]], where his sister and lawyer lived, and then to New Jersey, where he stayed for the following months at his friend [[Doris Duke]]'s estate.<ref name="vanityfair" />

This was Reubens's third arrest in the county. In 1971, Reubens had been arrested in the same county for loitering and prowling near an adult theater, though charges had been dropped. His second arrest occurred in 1983 when Reubens was placed on two years of probation for possession of marijuana, although [[adjudication]] was withheld.<ref name="no contest">{{cite news |date=November 8, 1991 |title='Pee-wee Herman' Pleads No Contest |newspaper=[[The Seattle Times]] |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19911108/1316042/pee-wee-herman-pleads-no-contest |access-date=October 12, 2008 |archive-date=May 9, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090509213323/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19911108&slug=1316042 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The 1991 arrest was widely covered and Reubens became the subject of late-night talk show ridicule.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zinoman |first1=Jason |date=July 31, 2023 |title=In Pee-wee Herman, Joy and Fun Got Flat-Out Weird |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/31/movies/pee-wee-herman-paul-reubens.html |access-date=August 1, 2023 |quote="Late-night hosts pounced, and so did the news media."}}</ref> [[Disney's Hollywood Studios|Disney-MGM Studios]] suspended a video from its studio tour that had shown Pee-wee explaining how [[voiceover]] tracks are produced. [[Toys "R" Us]] removed Pee-wee toys from its stores.<ref name="sympathy" />

Reubens released a statement denying the charges.<ref name="Us Weekly">{{cite news |date=October 1999 |title=The Us Weekly Interview: Paul Reubens |work=[[Us Weekly]] |url=http://www.paul-reubens.net/article/1999_10_the_us_paul_reubens/1999_10_the_us_paul_reubens.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090729120441/http://www.paul-reubens.net/article/1999_10_the_us_paul_reubens/1999_10_the_us_paul_reubens.htm |archive-date=July 29, 2009}}</ref> On November 7, 1991, he pleaded [[Nolo contendere|no contest]]. The plea avoided a charge on Reubens's record but obligated him to 75 hours of community service. As part of his service, he created, produced, and financed two antidrug [[public service announcement]]s.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Rohter |first=Larry |date=November 8, 1991 |title=Pee-wee Herman Enters a Plea of No Contest |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE1DB163EF93BA35752C1A967958260 |magazine=Time |access-date=October 12, 2008}}</ref>

Despite the negative publicity, many artists who knew Reubens, such as [[Cyndi Lauper]], [[Annette Funicello]], [[Zsa Zsa Gabor]], and [[Valeria Golino]], voiced support.<ref name="speaking" /><ref name="sympathy" /> Others who knew Reubens, such as ''Pee-wee's Playhouse'' production designer [[Gary Panter]], [[S. Epatha Merkerson]], and ''Big Top Pee-wee'' director [[Randal Kleiser]], also spoke in support.<ref name="twenty" /><ref name="speaking" /> Reubens's fans organized support rallies after CBS canceled the reruns, picketing in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.<ref name="sympathy" /><ref>{{cite episode |title=Pee-wee Herman |series=[[E! True Hollywood Story]] |airdate=June 21, 1998 |season=2 |number=42}}</ref> The television news magazine [[A Current Affair (American TV program)|''A Current Affair'']] received "tens of thousands" of responses to a Pee-wee telephone survey in which callers supported Reubens by a nine-to-one ratio.<ref name="sympathy" />

Although Reubens did not offer interviews or appear on talk shows after his arrest,<ref name="bigger-Stein" /><ref name="Us Weekly" /> he did appear in character as Pee-wee Herman at the [[1991 MTV Video Music Awards]] on September 5,<ref>{{cite web |title=VMA 1991 – MTV Video Music Awards |url=http://www.mtv.com/vma/1991 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625061818/http://www.mtv.com/vma/1991 |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 25, 2016 |access-date=August 11, 2017 |publisher=MTV}}</ref> asking the audience, "Heard any good jokes lately?" He received a standing ovation. Reubens appeared as Pee-wee only once in 1992, when he participated in a ''[[Grand Ole Opry]]'' tribute to [[Minnie Pearl]].<ref name="limelight" /><ref name="twenty" />

=== 2002–2004: Subsequent charges ===
In November 2002, while filming [[David LaChapelle]]'s video for [[Elton John]]'s "[[This Train Don't Stop There Anymore]]", Reubens learned that police were at his home with a [[search warrant]]. Police were acting on a tip from a witness in the pornography case against actor [[Jeffrey Jones]],<ref>{{cite news |first=Stone |last=Phillips |publisher=NBC San Diego |title=Pee-Wee Herman creator speaks out |date=April 5, 2004 |access-date=October 7, 2012|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna4653913 }}</ref> finding among over 70,000 items of [[kitsch]] memorabilia, two grainy videotapes, and dozens of photographs that the [[city attorney]]'s office characterized as a collection of "[[child pornography]]."<ref name="persecuting" /> Kelly Bush, Reubens's [[personal representative]] at the time, said the description of the items was inaccurate and stated the objects were "[[Rob Lowe]]'s [[Rob Lowe#Sex tape|sex videotape]]", and a few 30- to 100-year-old kitsch collectible images."<ref>{{cite news |first=George |last=Rush |work=Daily News|location=New York |title='Pee Wee' Says His Porn Was Legal Kitsch |date=January 10, 2003 |access-date=October 6, 2012|url= http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/gossip/2003/01/10/2003-01-10_pee-wee_says_his_porn_was_le.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100830071650/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/gossip/2003/01/10/2003-01-10_pee-wee_says_his_porn_was_le.html|archive-date=August 30, 2010}}</ref>

Reubens turned himself in to the Hollywood division of the [[Los Angeles Police Department]] (LAPD) and was charged with [[misdemeanor]] possession of obscene material improperly depicting a child under the age of 18 in sexual conduct.<ref>{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Winton |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|title=2nd actor arrested on kid porn charges |date=November 16, 2002| access-date=October 10, 2008| url= http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2002/11/16/MN236439.DTL }}</ref> The district attorney looked at Reubens's collection and computer and found no grounds for bringing any [[felony]] charges against him, while the city attorney, [[Rocky Delgadillo]], formally charged Reubens on the last day allowed by statute.<ref>{{cite news |first=Charles |last=Feldman |work=[[CNN]] |title=Pee Wee Herman actor charged |date=November 16, 2002 |access-date=October 13, 2008 |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/11/15/reubens.artwork.flap/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924160107/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/11/15/reubens.artwork.flap/index.html |archive-date=September 24, 2008 }}</ref> Reubens was represented by Hollywood criminal defense lawyer Blair Berk.<ref>{{cite news |agency=[[Reuters]] |website=The Space |title=Gibson brings in veteran defense lawyer amid drink driving charge |date=August 5, 2006 |access-date=October 11, 2008|url=http://arts.abc.net.au/news/artsnews_1707024.htm }}</ref>

{{Quote box| quote = One thing I want to make very, very clear, I don't want anyone for one second to think that I am titillated by images of children. It's not me. You can say lots of things about me. And you might. The public may think I'm weird. They may think I'm crazy or anything that anyone wants to think about me. That's all fine. As long as one of the things you're not thinking about me is that I'm a [[pedophilia|pedophile]]. Because that's not true.
 | source = Paul Reubens on the criminal charges made against him in 2002<ref name="creator speaks" />
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In December, he pleaded not guilty through Berk.<ref>{{cite news |agency=[[Associated Press]] |title=Actor charged with child porn |date=December 13, 2002 |access-date=October 10, 2008 |url=http://www.cjonline.com/stories/121902/usw_people.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090510054147/http://www.cjonline.com/stories/121902/usw_people.shtml |archive-date=May 10, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In March 2004, child pornography charges were dropped in exchange for Reubens's guilty plea to a lesser misdemeanor obscenity charge. For the next three years, he was required to register his address with the sheriff's office, and he could not be in the company of minors without the permission of their parent or legal guardian.<ref name="creator speaks" />

Reubens later stated that he was a collector of [[erotica]], including films, muscle magazines, and a sizable collection of mostly homosexual [[Erotic art|vintage erotica]],<ref name="persecuting" /> such as photographic studies of teen nudes.<ref name="creator speaks" /> Reubens said that what the city attorney's office viewed as pornography he considered to be innocent art, and whether the memorabilia were pornographic images "depends on what one sees in those images". Reubens described the nude images as people "one hundred percent not" performing sexual acts.<ref name="creator speaks" />

Being an avid collector, Reubens often purchased bulk lots, and one of his vintage magazine dealers declared that "there's no way" he could have known the content of each page in the publications he bought, and the dealer recalled Reubens asking for "physique magazines, vintage [1960s] material, but not things featuring kids".<ref name="persecuting" />

During this ongoing legal issue, Reubens spent two years in Sarasota, Florida, caring for his terminally ill father, who died in February 2004 of cancer.<ref name="milton" /><ref name="return again">{{cite news |website=[[Today.com]] |title=The return (again) of Pee-wee Herman |date=June 19, 2007 |access-date=October 10, 2008 |url=http://www.today.com/id/19314030 |archive-date=October 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016024251/http://www.today.com/id/19314030 |url-status=dead }}</ref>