Despite making a fortune through his fitness videos and TV appearances, Richard Simmons continued to teach at his studios decades into his career. However, in 2014 he abruptly disappeared from classes and failed to make any more public appearances or give interviews. Rumors swirled as people wondered why such a beloved and successful figure would suddenly disappear from public view.
Outlets such as TMZ began to cover his disappearance, with some claiming that Simmons was experiencing health issues that prevented him from continuing his career. In a documentary from the outlet that aired on FOX, one doctor stated that Simmons had experienced a debilitating knee injury. Other rumors claimed that he was due to undergo sex reassignment surgery and that he had been left inconsolable after the death of his dog. In 2017, speculation about what had happened to Simmons and why he had decided to retreat from the spotlight reached fever pitch. A podcast — “Missing Richard Simmons,” which investigated his disappearance — topped the podcast charts, though it failed to bring the fitness star back into public view. However, he remains a popular and much-loved figure, with more than 400,000 followers on Facebook despite having been absent from public life for almost a decade.
