Richard Simmons breaks the silence: The reclusive fitness guru is ‘happy’ on his 75th birthday as a spokesperson makes a VERY rare statement after years out of the spotlight – sparking rumors he has been held hostage by his housekeeper
- Simmons has not appeared in public since 2014
- The workout star has been the subject of conspiracy theories about his disappearance
- He said through a rep in 2022 that he was fine and “living the life he chose.”
Richard Simmons made an extremely rare public statement on Thursday to mark his 75th birthday.
Although he did not deliver a personal message to the public and his fans, he did allow his representative to speak on his behalf.
“This is a big milestone. “I just want to see him happy, and he is,” his rep Tom Estey told ET of the special occasion.
It’s a rare form of communication from the former fitness guru, who has largely stayed in hiding from the public eye since 2014.
He was spotted back in 2017 being discharged from a hospital after being treated for a serious digestive disorder.
Checking in: Richard Simmons, who has largely hidden from the public eye, made a rare statement on Thursday to celebrate his 75th birthday; seen in October 2013 in NYC
Update: “This is a big milestone.” “I just want to see him happy, and he is,” his rep Tom Estey told ET about the special occasion; pictured in Los Angeles in 1992
However, he tried to avoid being seen by covering himself almost head to toe with a blanket, after which his housekeeper had to escort him to a waiting car.
His retreat from the spotlight shocked many friends and admirers at the time, even sparking an investigative podcast, documentaries and half-hearted claims that his housekeeper was holding him hostage.
Since 2014, Simmons has only spoken to the public through a few phone interviews and rare testimonies from his representatives.
Fans first learned about the Sweatin’ To The Oldies star when a friend shared details about his current life with ET in 2018, just before his 70th birthday.
“He’s doing very well.” He’s his happy self. “He spends most of his time at home and in his garden,” the source claimed at the time.
They added that he’s made progress in his “reading” queue and that he’s “doing what he wants to do”.
“He deserves this time for himself,” the friend continued. “Seventy years is a milestone, but he doesn’t see it that way.”
Simmons’ quiet years couldn’t be a greater contrast to when he was at the height of his fame in the 1980s and 1990s, when he opened his own gym after losing more than 100 pounds.
Out of sight: The ‘Sweatin’ To The Oldies’ star has rarely addressed the public in nearly a decade, via a handful of phone interviews and statements from his reps; Seen at his now defunct Slimmons Studio in Beverly Hills in 2013
The Beverly Hills studio, which later became known as Slimmons, proved to be a popular spot for those looking to lose weight, as Simmons felt that gyms at the time were more geared towards people who were already in peak shape than to people who were already in top shape, those who want to get healthier.
He continued to increase his public profile with a string of appearances on game shows, talk shows, and even soap operas, but it was his video work on “Sweatin’ To The Oldies” that made him an unmissable part of culture.
His original 1988 tape was reportedly the best-selling fitness video of all time, grossing a staggering $200 million, according to the New York Post.