Richard Simmons Thanks Fans for ‘Kindness & Love’ After Fox Documentary

Eve Vawter August 26, 2022, 9:32 pm

Richard Simmons at the 87th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade — Scott Roth/FilmMagic

If you’re a (ahem!) person of a certain age, then you’re certainly familiar with Richard Simmons, the incessantly cheerful, curly-haired pop culture personality who had people in the late 1980s Sweatin’ To The Oldies. But TMZ’s new documentary, What Really Happened to Richard Simmons, highlights a very different Simmons.

The 45-minute exposé, which premiered on Fox on August 22, focuses on how Simmons chose to retreat from the public eye after being such a public figure for decades. With guest appearances on everything from Match Game to a recurring role on General Hospital, Simmons prided himself on helping people lose weight and enjoy fitness.

TMZ's 'What Really Happened to Richard Simmons': What We Learned

One topic the documentary really delved into was his incredibly draining public life. During COVID pandemic, Simmons began uploading vintage fitness content to his social media channels, much to the delight of his fans. But he’s not been seen out in public or even in social media photos or videos in years, spurring conversation about what really is going on with the cultural icon.

But after reading all the outpouring of support on social media following the airing, Simmons seemed to address the doc with a heartfelt message on Facebook.

In addition to his emoji-smiley message, his rep Tom Estey released a comment to the NY Post:

“Richard is eternally grateful for the continuous outpouring of love and gratitude he has received from across the Globe. He is happy, healthy, and living the life he has chosen to live.”

Judging from the comments on his post, so many of his fans are overjoyed that Simmons is doing well and living his best, solitary life in the Hollywood Hills.

Here’s hoping that those sentiments give him as much joy as he’s given so many people over the years.