Richard Simmons Is 75! The Fitness Icon Is 'Happy' amid 'Milestone' Birthday, Rep Says
Richard Simmons, iconic fitness instructor who’s disappeared from the public eye, celebrated his 75th birthday on July 12
Richard Simmons is 75!
On July 12, the iconic fitness instructor celebrated the milestone birthday and his onetime rep, Tom Estey, told Entertainment Tonight that the star is doing well.
“This is a big milestone. I just want to see him happy, which he is," Estey told the outlet.
Fans last heard from Simmons on the platform in August 2022 as he shared his appreciation for the love from his fans just days after the premiere of the TMZ documentary about the fitness icon's public disappearance.
"Thank you, everyone, for your kindness and love! Love, Richard," wrote Simmons on Facebook.
At the time, Simmons' manager Michael Catalano confirmed the post's authenticity to PEOPLE. "This was a personal post from Richard. He was moved by the reaction to the special and all the good wishes that he received. He was encouraged by the kindness."
After decades in the spotlight, Simmons suddenly stopped teaching at his famous workout studio on Feb. 15, 2014, and has not been seen in public since.
The mystery surrounding his public disappearance has been fueled by the hit podcast Missing Richard Simmons, which gave rise to sensational claims that Simmons is being held hostage in his Hollywood Hills home by his housekeeper, possibly transitioning into a woman, and other theories.
At the time, Simmons shut down any rumors surrounding his retreat from the public eye, attributing his absence to a knee injury.
“I am so touched by the outpouring of love and concern I have received today,” he wrote on his Facebook page. “I have had a tough time dealing with this injury, as it is keeping me from doing what I truly love to do and that is to teach classes around the world.”
In 2016, his rep also shut down rumors about the fitness guru.
“Richard, after 40 years of being in the spotlight, is now simply taking a break from the public eye and working behind the scenes to continue to help those millions of people worldwide in need of his assistance and on several projects to be announced soon,” the star’s rep told PEOPLE.
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When Simmons closed the doors to his iconic Beverly Hills exercise studio after more than 40 years, he shared a heartfelt message to fans.
“I will not see you today because I am not very good at endings. I would just spend the whole time hugging and crying. My eyes would get puffy and red, my hair would get all frizzy and I’d be a mess,” he wrote at the time. “I cannot bear to be sad today. And you shouldn’t be sad either. This should be a celebration of our forty-plus years together dancin’ and sweatin’. So let’s turn this ending into a new beginning.”
Simmons said that after decades of spreading his message of a portioned diet and fun workouts across the country, he was starting a new chapter of his life.
“It’s been over forty years now, and I am finally taking my own advice,” he said. “I am being kind to myself, and putting myself first. I am making changes and taking time to do the things I want to do. Please know that I am in good health and I am happy. No one has ever been able to tell me what to do and the same is true today. I am still independent, determined and opinionated. I simply am making a new beginning for myself — quietly and in my very own special way.”
After thanking the staff at Simmons and all the followers who loved to sweat alongside him, Simmons encouraged his fans to continue making their health a priority.
“Truly, you don’t need me to tell you what to do anymore. You know. It’s within you. It’s in your heart and it’s been there all along. So get up and get moving!” he concluded. “Be kind to one another, be kind to your body and be kind to yourself. I love you.”
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