Richard Simmons: The Mystery Of An Influencer’s Disappearance

Richard Simmons really was a classic example of one of those pop culture figures that just about everyone knew. Without a doubt, his signature sequined outfits and massive hair were instantly recognizable. However, he disappeared from public life amid a lot of rumors. Read on to find out what actually happened.

Happy & Positive Influencer

Folks loved the fitness instructor, TV personality, actor, and author. After all, he became a role model for a happy, loving life. Full of energy, people who knew of him loved all the positivity. If you don’t know, his “Sweat to the Oldies” exercises were done by millions of people.

Back in the day, in the 80s, you couldn’t turn on the TV without seeing Richard Simmons promoting his happy fitness concept to the public. He’d been a larger sized boy at school, and started with his wellness and fitness soon after he clocked in at 268 pounds.

Richard On General Hospital

Popular, he even appeared as a guest on the famous daytime drama, General Hospital. In the 70s and 80s, he appeared as a guest on the ABC soap to help Beverly DeFreest (Louise Hoven) lose weight. About a year before his reclusion, GH fans also saw Richard Simmons in the Nurses’ Ball for the show’s 50th-anniversary.

After he started his successful fitness studio named Simmons in Beverly Hills, in the early 70s, the studio became the place to go to. But then he went off the radar altogether back in 2014.

The Mysterious Disappearance

In 2014, Simmons made the decision to stop doing his exercise classes. And then, it seemed as if he just dropped off the face of the earth. So much so, that he even stopped any communication with closest friends.

Apparently holed up in his Hollywood mansion, many people who loved and supported him became worried. At the time, many people speculated about what happened to Richard.

One podcast hosted by Dan Taberski even went so far as to speculate about a huge range of reasons for the disappearance. Plus, rumors started that he was a hostage kept at home by a housekeeper.

Calls For A Wellness Check

The idea became so well accepted that eventually there were calls for a wellness check. However, he seemed fine, if, perhaps a bit lonely. All he wanted was to be left alone to enjoy his privacy. Finally, the news arrived that nobody forced him into hiding, and he said that seclusion was his own personal choice.

Eventually, the news emerged that Richard Simmons pulled away from the rest of the world for a couple of reasons. Apart from exhaustion and burnout, he suffered from a serious and painful knee injury. Obviously, if the pain was so great, he couldn’t maintain his heavy exercise routines. Additionally, he fought skin cancer. 

Depression Set In

For a person whose name was instantly relatable with exercise, it must have felt as if the sky fell down. That, allegedly, led to a lot of depression. So, he chose to just disappear rather than have fingers pointing at his own weakness.

If truth be told, most people could understand why a huge influencer chose reclusion rather than public curiosity. After all, his entire life seemed like a huge public entertainment show, and then suddenly, he couldn’t continue to deliver what people expected of him.

The Death Of Richard 

Richard passed away in 2024, but not long before that, he did reappear briefly. In his final months of life, Simmons made the rounds with acquaintances and spoke about an unauthorized film about his life. Only a couple of days before he passed away, he granted a rare interview to People magazine.

He told the outlet that he never stopped giving indirect support even though he turned into a very private person. Back then, Richard Simmons explained that he stayed in contact with some folks by using email and phone calls. On rare occasions, he ventured into the outside world, but chose to disguise himself.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below, and come back here often for all your celebrity news and updates.