Pee-wee Herman, aka Paul Reubens, is suing an auction house over priceless memorabilia from his television career, saying the items were “stolen.”
According to legal documents, obtained by The Blast, Reubens claims he “loaned” a set of props and memorabilia from his famous TV show ‘Pee-wee’s Playhouse‘ to display items for something called the “Museum of Television.” The actor says the items were to be returned upon his request. But, Reubens claims the museum doesn’t exist, and now the “stolen” memorabilia is being sold.
If you are a big Pee-wee fan, these are some of the greatest items from his show. The list includes the Dog Chair and Floory puppets and the Mr. Window from the set. Shockingly, the lot includes actual cue cards and signed photographs from the set.
Pee-Wee Herman Claims ‘Stolen’ Playhouse Items Are Worth Over A Million
At this point, Pee-wee’s lawyers say the company — The Comisar Collection — is “nonsensically outrageous claiming that the items were somehow “gifted” to them and have refused to return the items to Mr. Reubens despite his repeated requests.” Adding, “As if their theft of Mr. Reuben’s property was not enough. (They) have recently put
many of the stolen items up for auction without his consent, lining their pockets from the proceeds of the unlawful sales.”
Unfortunately, Reubens says a few of the items have already been sold to private collectors. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County is to recover whatever “Stolen Items” are still in their possession, put an immediate stop to any further unlawful sales, and recover the value of whatever “Stolen Items” have already been sold.”
The items are reportedly worth over $1 MILLION. The list also includes the Playhouse Cat Wall Clock, Miss Yyvonne Barbell prop, Velvet Skates, and assorted props from the food in the playhouse refrigerator.
View this post on Instagram
Interestingly, Paul’s lawyers started the lawsuit by recounting one of the most iconic phrases by Pee-wee Herman to show how upset he is about the situation.
It reads, “That’s my name, don’t wear it out!’ When comedian Paul Reubens (portraying his iconic role of Pee-wee Herman) uttered this phrase in the classic 1985 motion picture Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. it became a staple of American pop culture. Now, nearly four decades later, the phrase has unfortunately taken on new meaning, as (the auction house) has, quite literally, attempted to wear out the value of Mr. Reubens’ name through their shameful theft and attempted resale of his personal property of memorabilia.”
James Cosimar, owner of The Comisar Collection, issued a statement on the situation, saying, “I am sad to learn that Mr. Reubens has resorted to the threat of a lawsuit to improperly seek the return of items that he simply does not own. In addition to those items personally given to me by Mr. Reubens in lieu of sending them to the landfill, without conditions or promises, Mr. Reubens seeks the return of material that was the property of film studios, production companies, and individual creators—none of which he is entitled to.”
Adding, “Over the ensuing three decades, I have cared for, conserved, and preserved these items at my considerable expense—and with Mr. Reubens’ complete and continual knowledge of their whereabouts. Beyond his baseless accusations, Mr. Reubens has simply not shown that any of these items are his property.”
