How Debi Mazar helped Paul Reubens come out of depression after 1991 arrest

The Pee-wee Herman actor Paul Reubens died at the age of 70. In a statement to PEOPLE on Monday, Reubens’ representative confirmed his death and said the actor had cancer for years before his death.

In 1993, Reubens began dating actress Debi Mazar after they began going to movie premieres together. Since then, Reubens had always said that Mazar was responsible for helping him overcome the depression he went through after being arrested in 1991.

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The actor entered a plea of not guilty to public indecency following his 1991 pornographic masturbation arrest and subsequent involvement in a child pornography controversy.

Even though he was aware he was without guilt in both scandals, Reubens struggled to deal with the double calamity and felt hopeless and despondent until he met Mazar.

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In 2012, he tells Playboy magazine, “What finally pulled me out of my shell the first time was when I fell in love. I met a woman, an actress – Debi Mazar – at a movie screening at the end of 1993 and was just so incredibly smitten that it was like, ‘Boom, I’m back!’ It was so powerful; it was a gift. I would be all funky and dark, but she was able to just say a bunch of stuff to me, like, ‘Come on, up, up, up, up!’”

Unfortunately, the two broke up after dating for a few years due to reasons not known to the public. Later, On March 16, 2002, Mazar married Gabriele Corcos in a ceremony officiated by Ellen Burstyn. The couple now has two daughters, Giulia and Evelina. The family now resides in either Brooklyn or sometimes, a 15th-century house outside of Florence, Italy, which Mazar’s in-laws had given to them as a wedding present.

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The statement of Reuben’s death stated, “Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer, and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy, and belief in the importance of kindness.”

“Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit,” the statement 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.”