Simmons owns a mansion in the Hollywood Hills that was built in 1937. Controlled in the sense that they are controlling his mail, controlling his everything. Simmons fun approach to fitness earned him millions of fans and millions in fortune. He would try to hold back tears because boys would pick on him, childhood friend Antoinette DiPi told People, saying Simmons suffered constant bullying because of his heavyset frame, which was already taking a toll on his damaged foot, leg and knee. The one where EW follows up with the cast. Instead, beginning about three weeks ago, Simmons' YouTube and Twitter accounts started sharing vintage workout routines, marking their first activity since February 2014. Of course, those reports were completely put to rest when Richards rep at the time shared withHollywoodLifethat there was no truth to the stories, whatsoever. Youve given so much of yourself to the world, and now its your time. Has his retreat from the spotlight affected his net worth? See the fitness icon's heartfelt Facebook post!Full Stor. Richard Simmons hopes a new generation of fans will discover his classic exercise series, Sweatin' to the Oldies. For all the people that were worrying about me, I want to tell them that I love them with my whole heart and soul and that not to worry, Richards fine, he said. Something that happened to him at birth is directly connected to his disappearance a birth defect that significantly affected one of his legs, TMZ managing editor Fabian Garcia declared in the doc. Im sure I will be feeling good and back home in a couple of days.. At the age of 15, I was 200 pounds. Following the documentarys release, Simmons broke six years of silence, posting personally on his Facebook, Thank you, everyone, for your kindness and love! I dont think Richard is in there of his own volition.. Among his media appearances, he appeared on Late Show with David Letterman and The Howard Stern Show. As of 2022, Simmons has notdisclosed his sexuality. The fitness icon, who has been out of the public eye since February 2014, has been posting . For more than three decades, it seemed you couldnt go anywhere in America without seeing Richard Simmons. 'Sweatin' to the Oldies' Made Fitness Fun - and Profitable While growing up, he was overweight, and at the end of high school, he was 268 pounds. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'biographyhost_com-banner-1','ezslot_7',147,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-banner-1-0'); According tocelebrity net worth, Simmons holds an accumulated wealth of $20 million. The report stated that in April 2014, Richard told his close friend and former assistant Mauro Oliveira that the pair could no longer be in touch. Richard Simmons (@TheWeightSaint) April 3, 2020. The 74-year-old fitness guru shared a message with fans just days after the premiere of a new TMZ documentary about his disappearance from the spotlight. I have had a tough time dealing with this injury, as it is keeping me from doing what I truly love to do, and that is to teach classes around the world. See photos of him through the years, ahead. Over the years, rumors have swirled about the reasons why Simmons left the spotlight, with some fans wondering if the star was being held hostage by his longtime housekeeper Teresa Reveles a theory Simmons himself debunked during a March 2016 telephone call to TODAY's Savannah Guthrie. 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. The LAPD performed a welfare check on Simmons at his plush Hollywood Hills home in 2016, amid concerns his longtime housekeeper Teresa Reveles was holding him against his will. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and director Rob Marshall share the tale behind making their underwater musical with a groundbreaking Disney princess. As millions of Americans continue to quarantine or live under strict stay-at-home orders from their state, having a bit of fun while staying active is just what the doctor or in this case, Richard ordered. "There are two big things and probably either one could have caused this, one more than the other.". 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. Then they began swimming and dancing, lacing up at the sides and turning golden brown., As a teenager, Simmons tastes matured, but he still opted for calorie-heavy options, writing: Puberty was graduating from Thousand Island salad dressing to Caesar salads from hot dogs and hamburgers to beef stroganoff from ice cream in a cone to crme brule.. Oliveira reportedly asked Simmons whether his housekeeper Teresa Reveles was controlling his life;Yes,Simmons replied. 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. Simmons sued the media outlets in May 2017 after they ran articles claiming he is transgender. Hello to everyone who has shown concern for me and sent their good wishes, the 2017 statement said. We've received your submission. You are very much loved, please never doubt that. He later had to get a knee replacement but found the procedure on his right knee too traumatizing to repeat on his left leg. Having completed a grueling and unhealthy weight loss regimen that helped him shed over 100 pounds, Simmons crafted a program that included fun exercises, smart dieting, and positive reinforcement. However, in interviews, he confessed that he had a 'loner' phase where he did not have a partner. Controlled in the sense that they are taking advantage of his weak mental state. So where is Richard Simmons now? The documentary What Really Happened toRichard Simmons? has attempted to solve the mystery. Now you do you, Mr. Simmons! But thats when I realized a little insecurity has gotten in there., She continued: I liked him. You know, I had hurt my knee, and I had some problems with it, and then the other knee started giving me trouble because Ive taught like thousands and thousands of classes, and you know right now I just want to sort of take care of me., During the call, Simmons, whose reclusiveness inspired the popular podcast Missing Richard Simmons, assured fans that his health was "good.". However, Simmons' brother Lenny denied the strange rumors, adding that he's "looking after himself". Subscribe The whereabouts of beloved fitness guru, Richard Simmons, have been the subject of much speculation. Afterward, Richard Simmons, alongside his perfect friend, started the . Richard Simmons pal recalls time before disappearance: We had so much fun, Richard Simmons breaks silence, tells The Post hes living the life he has chosen, Suzanne Somers: My last meeting with broken Richard Simmons before disappearance, Us Weekly transition off to a rocky start. Besides, Simmons was a young entrepreneur. They Refused to Fight for Russia. Get up and move, Richard tweeted along with his latest video on April 3. I was the one made fun of. An article in the National Enquirer alleged him of having a sexual affair with Blake McDonald during the 1980s. The TMZ documentary covers Simmons childhood as an overweight and introverted boy with few friends and details his rise to fame as a weight-loss expert who charmed TV audiences with his animated personality. I went to my first Halloween party dressed as a couch. The defendants had filed a motion in January seeking $220,000, which Simmons' lawyers criticized as a "billing fiesta. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. The colonial-style home was purchased by Simmons in 1982 for $670,000 a real estate steal given how Hollywood Hills is. He became renowned as a fitness guru and advocate, which resulted in several local and national television and radio appearances. He toldThe Washington Post: What were doing is something of a grand gesture. We celebrate the self-awareness, empathy, and wisdom of women in midlife. "I don't care," Teresa reportedly told Mauro when he suggested that Richard seek treatment. We commit to cover sensible issues responsibly through the principles of neutrality. I went through a lot of hurt as a child. He disappeared from the limelight in 2014, fueling social media users to speculate about his whereabouts. The same sentiment was expressed in 2020 when the fitness icon re-released old exercise tapes on his YouTube channel to encourage his fans to exercise during the COVID-19 lockdown. Richard Simmon's publicist Tom Estey sent an email to Washington Post stating that he supports the theory that Richard Simmons wants to be alone and away from the media. Even at the height of his fame, the publicly bold and brash Simmons preferred to spend nights at home alone, with a barren social calendar that made both Boo Radley and Howard Hughes look like socialites. Other rumors and conspiracy theories surrounding Richard Simmons disappearance include: Richards knees have given up on him, and he cant bear looking weak in public; Simmons mental health issues, aggravated by the death of his beloved Dalmatian, have crippled him; and, Richard simply wants to be left alone. 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.. Arent you sick of hearing and reading about me?! 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.. Simmons was hospitalized for indigestion and said that he felt under the weather. But cops found that the superstar was articulate, relaxed and lucid appearing to be living happy at home with only his housekeeper as company. The family lived in the French Quarter, where Simmons' father was a master of ceremonies, and his mother was a fan dancer. But, as the documentary details, Simmons abruptly stopped teaching at the studio in February 2014 without providing an explanation. He keeps a low profile these days, so most people don't know what he's up to day-to-day. Clad in hot pants and bedazzled tank tops, the superstars light-hearted approach helped make fitness feel fun and accessible to overweight Americans who had long been intimidated by sculpted and self-serious trainers. He certainly seems to appreciate his fans concern. Simmons, who has made a name for himself running gyms, reportedly used the defect as motivation to become fit and healthy. Im glad I have hair on my head, you know? he told Entertainment Tonight in 2011. His brother, the manager, and Teresa. But in 2014, Simmons who had recently, tearfully referred to himself as a court jester suddenly vanished from the spotlight and he hasnt made a public appearance since. We know still that to this day, Richard still hasnt gotten corrective surgery on his left knee, TMZs Harvey Levin reveals in the doc. He is happy, healthy and living the life he has chosen to live., On Wednesday, Simmons, 74, published his own short note to Facebook, simply saying: Thank you, everyone, for your kindness and love. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. 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. He said: I went to my first Halloween party dressed as a couch. In his tentative ruling, issued in August 2017, Keosian stated that being misidentified as transgender does not inherently expose someone to "hatred, contempt, ridicule or obloquy," and therefore does not rise to the level of defamation. Iknew it was you, Richard! one admirer swooned. He is happy, healthy and living the life he has chosen to live., Two years after Richards disappearance, TheDaily Newsran a story claiming that Richards friends feared that he was being held hostage. He is known for his Sweatin' to the Oldies line of aerobics videos which he uses to promote weight loss. As a result, he is no longer able to continue his work. Garcia said: He was born without a full set of bones in his foot and it causes physical and emotional problems.. His Hawaiian upbringing. He told People he hadkick-started his careerafter receiving an anonymous note on his car which read: "Fat people die young; please dont die.". "We have answers - we know what happened to Richard Simmons, where he is, and what he does, " Levin added.