After New Doc, Richard Simmons Thanks Fans For 'kindness'

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Copyright © 2026, Los Angeles Times | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | CA Notice of Collection | Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information Advertisement Entertainment & Arts Worried about Richard Simmons? Don’t be. But he’s grateful for fans’ ‘kindness’
A man with curly hair wearing a bright orange shirt poses for a picture. Fitness personality Richard Simmons, pictured at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, addressed fans on Facebook. (Evan Agostini / Invision/Associated Press)
Alexandra Del Rosario. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times) By Alexandra Del RosarioStaff Writer Contact Aug. 26, 2022 6:16 PM PT
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After a new TMZ documentary reignited the conversation around Richard Simmons’ whereabouts, the reclusive fitness guru and pop culture icon addressed fans with an endearing message this week.

On his official Facebook page, Simmons, 74, shared a picture of a yellow smiley face holding up a red banner that says, “Thank you!”

“Thank you, everyone, for your kindness and love!,” he captioned the Wednesday post.

While short, the rare update from Simmons came days after Fox aired “TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons” on Monday. The television documentary, which tracked Simmons’ rise to fame and retreat from the spotlight, offered a fairly straightforward explanation for Simmons’ disappearance from the public eye in 2014.

Advertisement In October 2013, Richard Simmons warmed up the crowd for the 29th annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles.

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So where did he go? ‘Missing Richard Simmons’ refuses to accept the official story

Depending on your point of view, Richard Simmons has either been missing since February 2014 or is simply taking a break from the public eye.

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According to the documentary, Simmons sank “into a deep depression” after doctors in 2014 urged him to undergo a major surgery for his left knee.

“And if he didn’t get one, he might never be able to exercise again. Now, this is key to the disappearance of Richard Simmons,” the documentary claims.

Also in the doc, actor and author Suzanne Somers said she and Simmons were once supposed to appear on Larry King’s talk show until Simmons declined.

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“I heard through the ‘Larry King’ people that he didn’t want to be on the show with me,” she said, adding that she was told Simmons was scared of being ridiculed by her.

“That’s not my style, I never make fun of anybody,” she said. “But that’s when I realized a little insecurity has gotten in there.

“I liked him. I was always so surprised when he thought I’d make fun of him. But doesn’t that show you he’s got a heartache? Something’s broken inside because he did it. He had it and then let it go.”

Richard Simmons sings along with the music as he teaches a class in Beverly Hills in 2013.

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Reclusive Richard Simmons says he’s ‘fine,’ not being held hostage in his own home

March 14, 2016

The TMZ doc isn’t the first attempt to uncover why Simmons retreated and then abruptly shuttered his L.A. fitness studio in 2016.

In 2017, Dan Taberski launched the “Missing Richard Simmons” podcast, which revisited the speculation and gossip behind Simmons’ disappearance and featured interviews with the exercise expert’s friends.

Rumors then swirled around his well-being. In 2016, the National Enquirer claimed Simmons had transitioned to become a woman, which he quickly shut down. “I feel compelled to set the record straight and refute these lies,” he wrote in a statement posted to Facebook.

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In an interview with the “Today” show that same year, Simmons refuted claims that he was being controlled by his housekeeper and reassured fans that he was safe.

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - MARCH 9, 2013: Fitness guru Richard Simmons sings alone with one the the 60s classic tunes playing during one of his classes at Slimmons Studio March 9 2013 in Beverly Hills. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Column: By tossing a Richard Simmons libel case, a judge strikes a blow against transgender discrimination

In June 2016, the National Enquirer turned its typically overexcited attention to Richard Simmons, the fitness guru.

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“No one is holding me in my house as a hostage; I do what I want to do as I’ve always done,” he said. “So people should just believe what I have to say, because, like, I’m Richard Simmons.”

After Simmons’ latest update, fans reciprocated his love, writing nearly 5,000 positive responses on his Facebook post as of Friday.

“You have done so much good in so many people’s lives,” one fan replied. “Thank you for all that you have done and are still doing. None of us will ever forget you!”

“Thank YOU, for being such an excellent and kind human all these years,” another said. “You’ve been missed.”

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Alexandra Del Rosario is an entertainment reporter on the Los Angeles Times Fast Break Desk. Before The Times, she was a television reporter at Deadline Hollywood, where she first served as an associate editor. She has written about a wide range of topics including TV ratings, casting and development, video games and AAPI representation. Del Rosario is a UCLA graduate and also worked at the Hollywood Reporter and TheWrap.

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