Richard Simmons just turned 75 years old, and his representative shared a rare update on the reclusive fitness icon.
Tom Estey told “Entertainment Tonight,” “This is a big milestone. I just want to see him happy, which he is.”
Simmons has not been seen in public since 2014, and his withdrawal from the public eye has sparked rumors and concern from fans.
Richard Simmons attends the 87th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in 2013 in New York City. A year later, Simmons would leave the public eye, occasionally commenting via social media or his representative. (Scott Roth/FilmMagic)
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There were allegations in 2016 that Simmons was being held hostage by his housekeeper, which Simmons denied in a phone interview on “Today.”
“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 sort of just believe what I have to say because, like, I’m Richard Simmons!”
He added that the idea was “just very silly” and said of his housekeeper, “Teresa Reveles has been with me for 30 years; it’s almost like we’re a married couple.”
Simmons also refuted claims he was transgender and had transitioned to become a woman. In a court filing in his defamation suit against The National Enquirer in 2017, Simmons said, “I am male. I am not transgender. I have never sought nor obtained any medical treatment or procedure designed to transition from male to female.”
In 2022, a documentary titled “TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons,” was released, claiming the reason for his absence was knee surgery that slowed down his exercise regimen, causing him to “sink into a deep depression” as he doesn’t want to be remembered as “this frail, old guy.”
Richard Simmons attends the 2010 World Fitness Day event. Simmons was known for his energetic personality and his “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” workouts. (Moses Robinson/Getty Images)
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A spokesperson for Simmons told Fox News Digital at the time they had no comment about the allegations made in the doc.
Simmons posted on his own Facebook page at the time, simply writing “Thank you, everyone, for your kindness and love! Love, Richard.”
The 75-year-old began his career in fitness when he opened a gym in Los Angeles in the 1970s, and rose to fame in the ‘80s and ’90s with his workout videos, “Sweatin’ to the Oldies,” and flamboyant personality and costumes.
He was a frequent guest on daytime and late night shows, and routinely advocated for health and exercise.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Richard Simmons’ YouTube page re-released older workout videos to encourage people to stay active. (David A. Walega/WireImage)
Simmons’ YouTube channel even released previous recordings of older workouts to encourage people to stay active during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021
“We have had an overwhelming request for Richard to return in some way as a comfort to all dealing with the pandemic,” a representative for the star told Fox News in a statement. “We thought we would start by re-releasing some workouts and other inspirational content on his YT channel. Richard is very touched by the outreach.”
Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Nolasco and Tyler McCarthy contributed to this report.
