In the age of social-media fitness influencers, Richard Simmons stands out as the O.G. He is happy, healthy and living the life he has chosen to live., On Wednesday, Simmons, 74, published his own short note to Facebook, simply saying: Thank you, everyone, for your kindness and love. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Aired 8-23-22. The documentary claims he wants to be remembered as a vibrant, healthy man, and not an elderly man with medical problems.. In addition to inspiring people for decades to lose weight, he's done these things as well. Richard Simmons in 2013. Richard wanted to retreat before his image was recast as an old man. For all the people that were worrying about me, I want to tell them that I love them with my whole heart and soul and that not to worry, Richards fine, he said. Check your local listings for when 'TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened To Richard Simmons?' airs in your area! The Harlem Plug is a 266- page biography of Richard "Fritz" Simmons written by the author, Harlem Holiday. But doesnt that show you hes got a heartache? His blueprint consisted of staying quiet, steering away from violence and going against the norm. For more than four decades, the fitness guru and entrepreneur was featured on television shows, cookbooks and, of course, as the face behind the world-famous Los Angeles fitness studio, Slimmons. "There has not been a single paparazzi that has gotten anything of Richard Simmons out in public in more than eight years." After moving to Los Angeles in the 1970s, Simmons took an interest in healthy living and lost over 100 pounds, but noticed that guys catered to people who were already fit. Simmons simply suffered a knee injury. (Ron Eisenberg/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images). contributor for USA Today. The insecure star also struggled with other aspects of his appearance, admitting that he had three horribly painful hair transplants after his anorexia battle resulted in hair loss. I liked him. The hushed hustler from 112th street supplied some of NYCs biggest drug dealers, including Rich Porter. The note read: "Fat people die young. In August 2022, TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons was released, and fueling more speculation about his disappearance. One person never transported Barnes drugs from the pick-up location to the drop-off location. However, Simmons eventually used the birth defect in his foot as fuel to become fit and healthy. Richard is eternally grateful for the continuous outpouring of love and gratitude he has received from across the Globe. Often noted for his candy-striped bicycle shorts and bedazzled tank tops, Richard Simmons was a fixture in American fitness and popular culture. I felt like someone took my life, commercialized it, and stripped it of all the truth, and power it formerly contained, Faison wrote. It also explored the complexity of life as a hustler. How Did Flint Lockwoods Mom Die? TVPGAward Shows & Events News News Magazine TV Series 2022. The fitness guru with Taberski, a former student who calls his podcast "a grand gesture." (Courtesy of . Everyone in that building worked for Fritz in some way.. Required fields are marked *. Paid in Full fell short in these areas., It isnt known what, if any, role Jay-Z played in Paid in Full but, Hov ironically rapped on Streets is Talking. I seen niggas before me with a chance to write their own story/ Slip up and change the script.. Durch Klicken auf Alle akzeptieren erklren Sie sich damit einverstanden, dass Yahoo und unsere Partner Ihre personenbezogenen Daten verarbeiten und Technologien wie Cookies nutzen, um personalisierte Anzeigen und Inhalte zu zeigen, zur Messung von Anzeigen und Inhalten, um mehr ber die Zielgruppe zu erfahren sowie fr die Entwicklung von Produkten. Who was Richard "Fritz" Simmons? Still, his housekeeper is "a fiercely loyal employee and friend.". Instead of assembling a crew to handle the drugs like most drug dealers do, Fritz gave the coke away on consignment. I liked him. In the special, Suzanne Somers spoke about her last interaction with Richard Simmons. ", Still, Simmons has endured some heartache. "And that's not my style, I never make fun of anybody. Fritz was ingenious in that he disregarded unwritten rules. It offers insight into Fritz's childhood, his work ethic and why he returned to Harlem. You get to believe in our society that only the thin people are successful, he continued. Richard Simmons, a beloved fitness guru, was a talk show fixture at the height of his career. I wanted to tell Fritz story because the streets were talking, spreading lies, Holiday says during our interview. In Nicky Barnes memoir, Mr. Untouchable, Barnes described how he strategically placed up to three people and cars at different locations to help transport his drugs from New Jersey or Queens back to his Harlem headquarters. Teresa Reveles has been with me for 30 years. IE 11 is not supported. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Meanwhile, his contemporaries cruised uptowns avenues in cars costing at least $50,000. the popular podcast Missing Richard Simmons,, thanked the hospital's staff in a Facebook message, Richard Simmons reportedly set to file suit against media outlets. 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Good for youThank you for blessing and inspiring me so richly, said another. According to him, Simmons "doesnt want to be remembered as this frail, old guy. Now you do you, Mr. Simmons! Despite amassing millions of dollars, Fritz never moved out of his cramped apartment at 109 112th street. The lucrative deal unlocks a lavish lifestyle with more money than . According to the new TMZ documentary, he underwent a right knee replacement that left him in a considerable amount of pain. It featured interviews with Denise Austin, Suzanne Somers, as well as pal Bruce Vilanch and Simmons longtime costume designer Leslie Wilshire. Estey confirmed the message was personally composed by Simmons, and was his first public correspondence with fans in six years. 2001-2023 Dante Lee International | All Rights Reserved. Many drug organizations ran 812 hour work shifts morning, afternoon and night, and workers received their pay at the end of the work week. Clad in hot pants and bedazzled tank tops, the superstars lighthearted approach helped make fitness feel fun and accessible to overweight Americans who had long been intimidated by sculpted and self-serious trainers. 914-768-3192 The special, streaming on Fox and Hulu, claims that problems with the stars knees were behind his sudden shunning of the spotlight. At the age of 15, I was 200 pounds. I went to my first Halloween party dressed as a couch. Richard is eternally grateful for the continuous outpouring of love and gratitude he has received from across the Globe, Estey told The Post. "TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons," which premiered on August 22, explores what may have led to the fitness guru's decision to stop teaching classes at his studio in . According to the bombshell documentary, Simmons has suffered from a painful congenital condition affecting his feet . Richard Simmons' 2022 net worth revealed. Still Hungry After All These Years: My Story. . Published on August 22, 2022 06:14 PM. The documentary alleges that Simmons knee problems stem from a birth defect, whereby he was born without a full set of bones in his foot. The condition purportedly caused physical and emotional problems.. TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons - TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons: What really happened to Richard Simmons? SUZANNE SOMERS SAYS THIGHMASTER SAVED HER AFTER BEING FIRED: 'I'M STILL STANDING', "I said, 'Why?' NOTE TO EDITORS: While the documentary explored some far-out theories including that Simmons was being held hostage by his housekeeper the real explanation was finally revealed. Simmons became a beloved figure after he exploded onto the scene in the 1980s with workout videos that were accessible to people of all shapes and sizes. After negotiating a deal with the Medell n Cartel, Fritz becomes New York's Cocaine Consignment King. Youve given so much of yourself to the world, and now its your time. Harlems consignment kingpin insisted on remaining low-key. Somethings broken inside because he did it. Simmons was compared to Greta Garbo, the Oscar-nominated star of the 30s who was fiercely protective of her privacy. The star himself told Oprah Winfrey in a 1980s interview that he developed an eating disorder after high school, saying: I stopped eating and I got to 119 pounds and I was in the hospital.. The following year, nine members of the Wild Cowboys were indicted on three murders. I started picturing food as the enemy. Simmons obesity took a negative toll on his self-worth. The statement surfaced on the heels of the release of TMZ's new documentary, What Really Happened to Richard Simmons. and he said, 'She'll make fun of me," the 75-year-old shared. The concern inspired the podcast Missing Richard Simmons, hosted by Dan Taberski, who took Simmons's fitness classes and said he had been to dinner at Simmons's house. Yet the 71-year-old exercise mogul who is so reclusive that his absence sparked the popular podcast Missing Richard Simmons in 2017 has "still not decided when or if he'll make a return to the spotlight," TMZ reports. As per Celebrity Net Worth, Richard has an estimated net worth of $20 million. While recovering from five gunshot wounds, resulting from a dispute over money Fritz owned to a supplier whod given Fritz a bad batch of drugs, Fritz maintained a relationship with an individual from the Medelln Cartel. I felt very bad about myself, he said. In the 1970s, Richard "Fritz" Simmons is introduced to the drug trade, by an associate of the Lucchese crime family, one of the five families of La Cosa Nostra (the Mafia). Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The superstar suddenly stopped performing in public in 2014, citing problems with his knee. I was the one made fun of. Reps for Simmons politely declined the The Posts request for comment on renewed interest in his retreat from public life. Simmons put up a fence around his property shortly after his disappearing act. . 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Richard Simmons pal recalls time before disappearance: We had so much fun, Secret birth defect that made Richard Simmons a superstar and a recluse, Suzanne Somers: My last meeting with broken Richard Simmons before disappearance, Us Weekly transition off to a rocky start, new documentary about the workout kings sudden disappearance from the spotlight, knees were behind his sudden shunning of the spotlight. After decades in the spotlight, the 74-year-old suddenly stopped teaching at his workout studio in 2014. Thank you for saving my life over and over again, I am forever grateful for you.. Youre an amazing person who has opened his heart and soul to all for so many years. 9/12 is a poignant, surprising, and surprisingly funny seven episode series about people who wake up on 9/12 having to navigate a new, radically altered world. He would be found hidden in plain sight at 109 West 112 Street adorned in nondescript overalls and braided hair, not to mention his worn-out shoes. I went through a lot of hurt as a child. I wanted to write from the perspective of his family and close friends.. Harlem referred to Richard Fritz Simmons, their own urban legend, as Fritz from West 112th Street. The less people knew about what Fritz did, and how he moved, kept him alive and out of jail.. Richard Simmons' Final Year in the Public Eye The documentary, titled TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons , premiered on Hulu and FOX on Aug. 22. Fritzs sister Evelyn Simmons claimed that her brother Fritz was poisoned in 1991. She is an Amazon novel Bestseller, born and raised in Harlem. I said, Why? and he said, Shell make fun of me. And thats not my style, I never make fun of anybody. Before he retreated from the public eye in 2014, Simmons would greet tour buses that stopped by his Hollywood Hills home and personally call fans to support their weight loss efforts. His notable absence has become the subject of the Missing Richard Simmons podcast, and now the TMZ documentary What Really Happened to Richard Simmons, which premiered August 22 on Fox. The first episode of TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons was released on FOX and Hulu on August 22, 2022. However, in 2014, Simmons stopped performing in public, citing problems with his knee. Harlem, NY The Harlem Plug is the 266-page biography of Richard Fritz Simmons written by author Harlem Holiday and released during Womens History Month through her imprint, Harlem Westside Publishing. Most kingpins operate on a body politic. Numerous conspiracy theories concerning Richard Simmons' whereabouts have been offered over the years. Nobody has heard from him - and no one knows why he left. Suzanne Somers is opening up about her last interaction with fellow fitness icon Richard Simmons . Taberski's podcast began, reigniting the public's interest in Richard. LOL Well by now you know that Im not missing, just a little under the weather. Richard Simmons hasn't left his house in years. Fritz was introduced into the drug trade by an associate . Richard Porter walked down a cold Harlem street in December 1990 wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a loaded pistol. Im glad I have hair on my head, you know? he told Entertainment Tonight in 2011. He opened the door for people of all ages, shapes and sizes to achieve their goals and better their lives. Simmons interviews detailed the bullying he suffered in his childhood, his relationship with food (including disordered eating that led to him losing 137 pounds, but he nearly died in the process), and the emotional responsibility he felt to his supporters. 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