Richard Simmons, born Milton Teagle Simmons on July 12, 1948, is an American fitness personality and public figure. The fitness icon, has maintained a low public profile in recent years. He made his final public appearance in 2014 and has largely retreated from public life since then.
There have been occasional public statements and social media posts, including a rare statement in August 2022, where he thanked fans for their kindness and love on his birthday. Simmons has been living a private life in Beverly Hills, California, and has made it clear that he did not give permission for a biopic about his life.
His public appearances and statements have been infrequent, and he has largely stayed out of the public eye, leading to much speculation about his activities and well-being.
The beloved fitness personality left public life a decade ago but made headlines in January 2024 when it was announced that Pauly Shore would play him in a biopic—and that made the normally outwardly cheerful and sweet Simmons slightly salty.
“Hi Everybody! You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore. I have never given my permission for this movie. So don’t believe everything you read.”
Shore, who already stars as Simmons in a short called The Court Jester, told Variety of the full-length project, “I’m really excited about sharing Richard Simmons’s life with the world. We all need this biopic now more than ever. Simmons represented mental health, getting people in shape and being his authentic silly self! Whenever he was on TV you could never take your eyes off of him and he brought such a joy to his appearances that represented nothing but a good time.”
How did Richard Simmons become famous?
Richard Simmons became famous for his eccentric and flamboyant personality, as well as his contributions to the fitness industry.
He first began to establish himself in the fitness world by opening his gym, Slimmons, and quickly became a national sensation through media coverage and his subsequent books, videos, and audio recordings, all geared towards helping people get fit.
He’s joked that “lard was a food group and dessert was mandatory” for him growing up, and when he graduated high school, he weighed 268 pounds. Through moderation in his diet and exercising, he lost weight and set out to spread the joy of his healthy lifestyle to others.
Simmons moved to Los Angeles in 1973 and consulted with doctors, nutritionists and other professionals to create an exercise studio that was welcoming to all bodies, shapes, ages and fitness levels. His fitness studio opened in 1974, and he taught there until 2013 and kept it open until 2016.
He made his final public appearance in 2014 and has largely retreated from public life since then, maintaining a low public profile. Despite occasional public statements and social media posts, he has largely stayed out of the public eye, leading to much speculation about his activities and well-being.
The success and popularity of his fitness studio led Simmons to launch his own workout videos and audio tapes (65 in total), most famously Sweatin’ to the Oldies. He became ubiquitous in pop culture, even starring in General Hospital for four seasons.
Health Update: Did Richard Simmons have knee surgery?
According to various sources, including TMZ and Vanity Fair, Richard Simmons underwent a right knee replacement surgery in 2010, but the pain was so severe that he allegedly refused to undergo another surgery to replace his left knee.
Doctors had told him that he needed a left knee replacement, but he was reportedly too traumatized by the first operation to undergo another one. The pain from his knee problems is said to have contributed to his decision to retreat from public life and become more reclusive. As a result, he reportedly became depressed and reclusive, not wanting the public to see him in that state.
After the 2014 report of his knee surgery rumors published, Simmons released a statement on Facebook (via TMZ), writing, “I am so touched by the outpouring of love and concern I have received today. I have had a tough time dealing with this injury, as it is keeping me from doing what I truly love to do, which is teaching classes around the world. Make sure you keep Sweatin’!”
Later in in 2017, Simmons was hospitalized. His rep told Entertainment Tonight at the time, “Richard Simmons was hospitalized on Monday at an undisclosed location in California. After a few days of battling severe indigestion and discomfort while eating, we agreed it was best for him to seek treatment.”
What is Richard Simmons’ net worth in 2024?
Richard Simmons’ net worth in 2024 is estimated to be in the $15 million to $30 million range, according to E! News. This encompasses not just his liquid financial assets, but also his entire fitness empire.
He’s sold an estimated 20 million workout tapes, cassettes and DVDs overall, with Sweatin’ to the Oldies alone grossing $200 million since its 1988 release, The New York Post reported. He wrote 12 books, three of which were New York Times bestsellers. He had his own talk show, aptly named The Richard Simmons Show, for four years, and a radio show for several years, in addition to popping up elsewhere in pop culture through film and TV cameos. The man even had his own weight loss cruise, dubbed Cruise to Lose!
Simmons also reportedly sold 160 million Deal-a-Meal diet plans and kept his Beverly Hills workout studio from 1974 to 2016. He also had a merchandising deal with Prominent Brand + Talent that experts estimate likely made at least $5 million to $10 million alone.