Richard Simmons Clarifies Bizarre Near-Death Announcement

Nick Caruso
·2 min read

Fear not, Richard Simmons fans. The eccentric fitness personality is not dying, despite his string of rather unsettling tweets Monday.

“I have some news to tell you,” Simmons began in a thread on X. “Please don’t be sad. I am… dying. Oh, I can see your faces now. The truth is we all are dying. Every day we live we are getting closer to our death. Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to enjoy your life to the fullest every single day. Get up in the morning and look at the sky… count your blessings and enjoy.”

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What followed was a series of tips for better eating, sleeping and, yes, exercising.

“Start with a healthy breakfast. Do you like oatmeal… Whole wheat toast ..eggs once or twice a week Fresh fruit or half of an English muffin? Then there is lunch. How about a nice salad? Don’t eat your dinner too late. Combine your protein with a starch and a few vegetables… A big hug really goes a long way. If you have time I want you to listen to a terrific song. It is by Tim McGraw. It is called ‘Live Like You Were Dying.’ Live today and don’t forget to pray.”

But after some time passed, the posts sparked mass confusion causing many to believe that Simmons was, in fact, dying. Even the press reached out to check on the health of everyone’s favorite work-out guru.

“Sorry many of you have gotten upset about my message today,” Simmons posted four-and-a-half hours later. “Even the press has gotten in touch with me. I am not dying. It was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have.  Sorry for this confusion.”

Simmons halted most public appearances in 2014, prompting false speculation that he was being held against his will. In 2017,  journalist Dan Taberski released a podcast titled Missing Richard Simmons where he investigated Simmons’ abrupt disappearance from the public eye and why the exercise instructor went MIA. Rumors continued to swirl and in 2022, Simmons issued a statement to the New York Post saying he was “happy, healthy and living the life he has chosen.”

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