In July 1991, fans of Paul Reubens were shocked when the entertainer was arrested for allegedly masturbating in an adult movie theater in Sarasota, Florida, per The New York Times. Three-and-a-half months later, Reubens was in court over the affair, which brought even more attention to the embarrassing misdemeanor. In November 1991, the actor pleaded no contest to charges of indecent exposure. To avoid the case going any further, Reubens also agreed to dedicate himself to at least 75 hours of community service, in which he would make an anti-drug tape to be broadcast on TV and in schools, and he also had to pay a $50 fine and court costs of $85.75. Reubens’ lawyer, Richard E. Gerstein, told The New York Times, “No experience like this has a positive impact on anyone, but this was an excellent resolution, very fair and very reasonable.”
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In 2004, the Pee-wee Herman star spoke to NBC News about his career-ending arrest and denied that he’d actually been masturbating in the adult movie theater. “I maintained at the time that it didn’t happen and I maintain that still,” he said. As for the impact the entire thing had on the actor, Reubens told the publication, “It was kind of like a mortifying kind of situation, where I felt like you know people are laughing at me.”
