13 July 2023 , 19:41
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Richard Simmons hasn't been seen publicly since 2014, but nine years later he's issued a statement through his representative in time for his 75th birthday.
"This is a big milestone. I just want to see him happy, which he is," his rep Tom Estey said about Richard's birthday milestone. While the words didn't come directly from his mouth, it's the first time in a long while that the former fitness guru has allowed a statement about him go out.
Richard jogged into the spotlight when he opened a gym in Beverly Hills, California, first named The Anatomy Asylum. Later he renamed it Slimmons, a play on words of his surname. The gym closed unexpectedly in November 2016.
He also released healthy cookbooks and various DVDs, audio cassettes, and CDS where he offered aerobic exercise instruction and tips to lose weight. His most famous aerobic video is Sweatin' to the Oldies, which has five installments.
One conspiracy theory is that Richard was held hostage by his housekeeper (Getty Images)
Richard made many successful workout videos (Daily Record)This isn't the first birthday message shared about Richard, as a friend in 2018 said, "he spends most of his time at home and in his yard" ahead of his 70th birthday.
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Richard's representative's update about the fitness guru is one of the rare updates the public has gotten about him in recent years. The Sweatin' to the Oldies star made his last public appearance in 2014.
The fitness instructor has raised eyebrows with his public disappearance. A conspiracy theory quickly arose that Richard was being held hostage by his housekeeper, Teresa Reveles. Shortly after the theory came to light, he gave an audio interview on the Today Show, claiming it was a false theory.
Richard hasn't made a public apperance since 2014 (Getty Images)
Richard was last seen in 2017 leaving a hospital (Getty Images)However, in 2017 the Los Angeles police department was called to visit the star's home for a welfare check. They issued a statement that Richard was "perfectly fine" and "right now he is doing what he wants to do and it is his business."
Richard was spotted a month later checking out of a hospital after he was treated for severe indigestion. The fitness star posted a photo of himself on Facebook afterward with the caption "I'm not 'missing' just a little under the weather." Fans of his were quick to notice the photo was from 2013, leading conspiracy theories to flare up again.
A podcast ran in 2017 called Missing Richard Simmons which investigated why he decided to leave the public eye so suddenly.
The most recent flare-up of rumours and speculation was in August 2022 when a TMZ documentary was released called What Really Happened to Richard Simmons. In response, Richard issued a statement to the New York Post where he stated he is "happy, healthy, and living the life he has chosen to live."