Richard Simmons, the beloved fitness guru who was everywhere in the 80s, seemed to disappear from the public eye after 2014. Rumors started circulating, suggesting that he was being held hostage by his housekeeper. However, Simmons spoke out to deny these claims, explaining that he was simply enjoying some alone time. As time passed without a public sighting of him, his fans grew increasingly concerned about his well-being.
But now, on Simmons’ 75th birthday, everyone can breathe a sigh of relief. His representative, Tom Estey, has provided a rare update on Simmons’ current state, assuring everyone that he is happy. “This is a big milestone. I just want to see him happy, which he is,” Estey told ET. This update aligns with what a friend shared on Simmons’ 70th birthday in 2018, stating that he was doing well and enjoying his time at home and in his yard.
In 2014, Simmons mysteriously disappeared from the public eye when he stopped teaching at his workout studio. Two years later, he called into Today to address the claims of being held hostage. “No one is holding me in my house as a hostage,” he said at the time. “You know, I do what I want to do as I’ve always done so people should just believe what I have to say because, like, I’m Richard Simmons!” Simmons explained that he wanted to be a “loner” for a while as he recovered from injuries sustained from teaching thousands of classes.
Despite a hospitalization in 2017, Simmons assured his fans that he was just feeling “a little under the weather.” In 2022, a documentary shed light on his whereabouts since he rose to fame. And following the documentary, Simmons took to Facebook to express gratitude to his fans for their support.
As an old fan of Richard Simmons, I’m relieved to hear that he’s doing okay because I often wonder about him. It’s good to know that he’s happy and enjoying his time. Keep shining, Richard
