Legendary celebrity fitness guru Richard Simmons has been laying low in recent years after decades in the public spotlight. The 74-year-old has popped up lately with messages posted to social media assuring the public that he is OK, but is choosing to preserve his privacy.
Reports surfaced after actor and TV personality Pauly Shore said he would play Simmons in what will reportedly be a feature film starring Shore that will coincide with the timing of the Sundance Film Festival.
Simmons, who hasn't made any media appearances in a significant length of time — especially considering how prominent he was on television over the decades — has been controlling the message by posting directly to social media to make his feelings about the project known.
Simmons, who says he is retired now, has given up his manager and publicist and has been living at his home in Beverly Hills and living what he calls a quiet life.
"I have had a lot of people ask me for interviews. But, right now I don’t want to do them," he said in a Facebook post in January. "I wanted you all to know that I am fine and I am happy," he wrote.
Simmons said in another post, "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 ... I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful. Thank you for all your love and support."
Annual count of homeless residents begins in Los Angeles
The count aims to estimate how many people are unhoused and what services they may require, such as mental health or drug addiction treatment.
The Hollywood Reporter noted a meme last year that compared how Shore and Simmons resemble each other in some ways.
Shore explained on social media that he had been trying to contact Simmons for his blessing to pursue a film project about the fitness star's life.
AP
Shore said at the time of Simmons, "I heard he's living deep in Big Bear. We've been playing phone tag ... I'm trying to make it happen."
Shore said, "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."
A video labeled as a "teaser" for the project, titled "The Court Jester," was released on The Lewis Brothers' YouTube channel last week.
