It also appears that Richards social media is back up and running, too! He refused to return to the show for 6 years. Rather, Richard is presumably doing just fine. Richard Simmons wants you to 'get up and move!' At first, the fitness icon attributed his reclusiveness to a knee injury and the surgery he was struggling to recover from. According to the bombshell documentary, Simmons has suffered from a painful congenital condition affecting his feet and legs. I was always so surprised when he thought Id make fun of him. The superstar suddenly stopped performing in public in 2014, citing problems with his knee. 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Simmons relocated to Los Angeles while in his early 20s, and noticed that most fitness clubs were targeting people who were already fit. When TMZ began promoting "What Really Happened to Richard Simmons," many assumed it was because he had died. He is happy, healthy and living the life he has chosen to live," Estey said in a statement. Teresa Reveles has been with me for 30 years. On Wednesday,. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Simmons was hospitalized for indigestion and said that he felt under the weather. Richard is eternally grateful for the continuous outpouring of love and gratitude he has received from across the Globe, Estey told The Post. Love, Richard., Tom Etsey, Richards rep, told theNew York Postthat Richard personally wrote the Facebook message. Simmons born on July 12, 1948 was raised in New Orleans, a legendary culinary destination about which he claimed lard was a food group and dessert was mandatory., The workout king claimed he came out of his mothers womb with a fork in his 1999 memoir Still Hungry After All These Years: My Story., I could recognize a package of bacon at 20 feet, he recalled. While his last tweet prior to the COVID-19 outbreak was in January, his recent tweets have been incredibly consistent, urging his fans to check out his YouTube channel and re-watch old videos of the fitness instructor and his crew busting a few moves and working up a sweat. Now, some claim it was this early but enduring damage that spearheaded his eventual rise to pop culture legend and his later downfall into a world of loneliness and despair. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, was being held hostage by his housekeeper, undergoing gender reassignment surgery to live as a woman named Fiona,. Afterward, Richard Simmons, alongside his perfect friend, started the . The 68-year-old hasn't been seen in public since 2014 and this week, he was. Days after the snaps were taken, Simmons posted on Facebook: "Hope you're having a beautiful Sunday. A June 2016 cover of the National Enquirer, for example, read: Richard Simmons: Hes Now a Woman. In his lawsuit, Simmons claimed the outlets published the stories with calculated malice.. The new documentary TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons, streaming now on FOX and Hulu, claims the entertainer has been holed up in his Hollywood Hills home due to a painful ailment that he has battled with since birth and has kept secret from his adoring public. After all that time in the spotlight, Richard Simmons suddenly retreated. Richard Simmons is helping people struggling through these days of self-isolation -- an area of expertise for him -- by making a comeback of sorts . Theres something about him, maybe, that he doesnt believe, and hopefully this will jar that part of him., Everything about Gio Benitez and his husband Tommy DiDario, All you need to know about Nicole TV and her boyfriend, What to know about Bruno Mars partner Jessica Caban, What is Sofia Richies ethnicity? Meanwhile, according to the new doc, Threes Company star Suzanne Somers revealed a sad encounter with Simmons behind-the-scenes at a talk show. Controlled in the sense that they are taking advantage of his weak mental state. How her mother fled Vietnam in a sinking boat, What is Gervonta Davis ethnicity? His sessions combined upbeat music with rocking workouts heightened with his witty commentary and encouragement. The attorneys for Simmons and the defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Love, Richard. It seems likely that Simmons is taking this time to prioritize his own health. Doctors subsequently told him that he also needed a left knee replacement, but he allegedly refused to do so after being too traumatized by the first operation. I dont care,Teresa reportedly told Mauro when he suggested that Richard seek treatment. Richard Simmons thanks fans after TMZ debuts a documentary on his disappearance from the public eye. The flamboyant fitness guru was a ubiquitous force, fronting informercials, publishing cookbooks and selling tens of millions of workout videos that revolutionized the exercise industry forever. 4 min read. That theory was brought to light by the 2017 podcast Missing Richard Simmons, which devoted eight episodes to speculating about the fitness stars state of being. I have come to believe that something else is happening,a friend told the publication. Hes just not the same guy anymore., Levin, 71, adds that the decision for Simmons to retreat from public life has also been about preserving his brand: He wanted to be remembered as vibrant and healthy not an elderly man with medical problems., But the documentary also hinted that Simmons may be relishing his quiet life away from the camera, claiming he has always been withdrawn and a loner.. 0. the popular podcast Missing Richard Simmons,, thanked the hospital's staff in a Facebook message, Richard Simmons reportedly set to file suit against media outlets. Related: Oh yeah, we're gonna shake it up! TMZ founder Harvey Levin toldFox4they have two possible answers for what sparked his disappearance. After a six. When I saw spaghetti, I saw worms. And for 40 years, he took care of everyone but himself.. The new TV special produced by TMZ, the staff at which have spent years chronicling the stars disappearance states that the sassy, self-assured version of himself that he presented to the public was merely a front, and that Simmons was a profoundly shy and sensitive soul who struggled with being made fun of. I watched the documentary about you last night. Simmons, who has made a name for himself running gyms, reportedly used the defect as motivation to become fit and healthy. The star himself told Oprah Winfrey in a 1980s interview that he developed an eating disorder after high school, saying: I stopped eating and I got to 119 pounds and I was in the hospital.. Fox is also in on the hype: its documentary about Simmons called TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons aired on in summer 2022. but not really. The one where EW follows up with the cast. Born Milton Teagle Simmons in New Orleans on July 12, 1948, the fitness guru better known as Richard Simmons kicked off his career in the '70s and rose to fame in the '80s. You havent seen the last of me. He adopted a lifestyle of balance, moderate eating and exercise that allowed him to maintain a healthy weight. Garcia said: He was born without a full set of bones in his foot and it causes physical and emotional problems.. According to the bombshell documentary, Simmons has suffered from a painful congenital condition affecting his feet and legs. Simmons fun approach to fitness earned him millions of fans and millions in fortune. Thats because hes essentially been a recluse since 2014, steering clear of public appearances and maintaining an alarmingly low profile for someone as extroverted and flashy as he once was. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. According to reports, Simmons is now 73 years old and resides in his house with three dalmatians, keeping away from the public to enjoy his free time in solitude. I just sort of wanted to be a little bit of a loner for a little while, he explained. Simmons became a beloved figure after he exploded onto the scene in the 1980s with workout videos that were accessible to people of all shapes and sizes. And, other baseless rumors wrongly speculated that Simmons had changed his gender claims which were again rebuked by his team. Ill come back, and Ill come back strong.. He sold pralines on New Orleans street corners, where he learned to charm and entertained clients. I was the largest child in school. He walks with a cane and that explains a lot. In addition, he released 65 fitness DVDs, which sold over 20 million copies. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'biographyhost_com-box-3','ezslot_1',113,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-box-3-0'); Richard Simmons was born on 12 July 1948 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Simmons rep, Tom Estey, spoke Friday following the release of a new documentary about the workout kings sudden disappearance from the spotlight. Im so proud of you for taking time for yourself. I am so touched by the outpouring of love and concern I have received today, he said in a 2014 statement released by his management team. Richard Simmons has broken his six-year silence, with his spokesperson telling The Post that the beloved fitness icon is "living the life he has chosen." Simmons' rep, Tom Estey, spoke Friday. Fans were thrilled to hear that Simmons was in good health and high spirits, with thousands responding to his Facebook message. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. But during a 2000 appearance, Letterman, 75, hosed Simmons down on-air with a fire extinguisher, leaving the fitness guru visibly upset. The first episode of TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons was released on FOX and Hulu on August 22, 2022. The iconic aerobics guru made a major comeback amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, and is using his platform to encourage his fans to stay fit and motivated! On April 3, legendary fitness instructor Richard Simmons returned to his YouTube channel to share another exercise video from his heyday in the 1970s and 80s, encouraging his over 11,000 subscribers to stick to a fun fitness routine amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The only impairment, police noticed at the time of their visit, was a slight limp in his knee., No one is holding me hostage, Simmons subsequently declared in a phone interview with Today. Simmons sort of emerged back into the spotlight during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, when he re-released workout videos on his YouTube channel to help others stay fit while in lockdown. Subscribe The whereabouts of beloved fitness guru, Richard Simmons, have been the subject of much speculation. PerTMZ,police visited Richards home in January 2015 and found him alert and responsive. Richard Simmons was born on July 12, 1948, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Diana Dasrath is NBC News entertainment producer and a senior reporter. Richard Simmons gained fame by making weight loss fun. I went through a lot of hurt as a child. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action Little Mermaid with a new generation's Ariel. Following an unsuccessful defamation lawsuit, the fitness guru must pay the attorneys fees for the National Enquirer, Radar Online and their publisher. Now, his latest videos a collection of roughly 12, so far feature Richards effervescent personality and enthusiasm for health and wellness as he does roughly 10-minute effective workouts that are perfect to do at home! TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons will be available to stream for free on Tubi on August 30. In April 2017, after Simmons was hospitalized for "severe indigestion" at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, he posted on Facebook to thank fans for their support. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Richard Simmons pal recalls time before disappearance: We had so much fun, Secret birth defect that made Richard Simmons a superstar and a recluse, Suzanne Somers: My last meeting with broken Richard Simmons before disappearance, Us Weekly transition off to a rocky start, new documentary about the workout kings sudden disappearance from the spotlight, knees were behind his sudden shunning of the spotlight. That's when he decided to make it his mission to create a fitness environment open to people of all shapes and sizes. The colonial-style home was purchased by Simmons in 1982 for $670,000 a real estate steal given how Hollywood Hills is.