Pee Wee Herman makes plans for comeback

[HMG] – Many Hollywood stars have fallen from grace, and some never returned. But Paul Rubens – better known as Pee Wee Herman — may have achieved modest stardom again. But he won’t be happy until the public forget his arrest.

Paul, now 57, was arrested in Florida in July 1991 for indecent behavior in an adult theater. The arrest got huge national coverage and re-runs of his show were quickly pulled off the air. Disney and Toys R Us also canceled their deals. Rubens released a statement denying the charges and his attorneys then made a deal with the  cops. But he always maintained he was innocent.

Several friends, including Cyndi Lauper, Bill Cosby and Zsa Zsa Gabor soon came to his aid, protesting the way he was treated by the lower-rent media. But the damage was done – Paul was shunned by the public and banned by the networks, and his ten-year career – which won 15 Emmys – was gone overnight.

But Paul is still clear on the case:

“Had we gone to trial, we had an expert who was going to testify it couldn’t have been me,”Fox quotes him as saying.

But even though he disappeared from view at the time, many so-called friends made hay from the case;

“I turned on the TV and saw people I thought were my friends making jokes about me,” he recalls. “That was really painful. I knew Arsenio Hall, and his guests Patti LaBelle and Luther Vandross were also my friends. Jay Leno was also saying snarky things. I know it’s their job, but I was shocked people would kick me when I was down.”

After almost two decades of media indifference Paul began a return to the limelight last year with a live show in L.A. But he’s aware the public may never fully forget his alleged behavior.

“People said the public have a short memory. It wasn’t true,” he mused. “The public has a memory like a steel trap. Two years ago I was on a flight to LA and I saw a TV monitor showing my ‘E! True Hollywood Story’ – to every seat in the plane! I felt as though I was going to have to jump!”

The TV news-show, ‘A Current Affair’ received “tens of thousands” of responses to a recent Pee-wee survey, in which callers supported Paul’s plans to return to performing by a nine-to-one margin. But will the fans really come back?

Do you think Pee Wee should return, or fade out for good? The floor is open — let’s hear your reviews…