Fitness guru Richard Simmons posted on social media Monday that he is “dying” in a cryptic post in which he said everyone else is also nearing their demise.
The former TV mainstay-turned-recluse, now 75, authored seven posts on the social media platform X that left many people scratching their heads.
“I have some news to tell you. Please don’t be sad,” Simmons wrote late Monday morning. “I am ….dying.”
“Oh I can see your faces now. The truth is we all are dying,” he added. “Every day we live we are getting closer to our death. Why am I telling you this?”
I have some news to tell you. 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?
— Richard Simmons (@TheWeightSaint) March 18, 2024
In six follow-up posts, Simmons offered everything from dietary advice to how people can get better sleep.
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.
— Richard Simmons (@TheWeightSaint) March 18, 2024
Would you meet Richard Simmons if given the chance?
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.
— Richard Simmons (@TheWeightSaint) March 18, 2024
And sure, once in a while, have dessert. One healthy day of eating will lead to the next…and the next.
Every day that you are alive you have got to move. Whether it is standing or sitting you have got move your body every day. Start with stretching then cardio and strength.
— Richard Simmons (@TheWeightSaint) March 18, 2024
I have a lot of workout videos on YouTube that you can use. Or maybe you have some videos at home. And before you go to bed do a little stretching. Stretch your neck. Your shoulders….and your arms…and dont forget your legs. Do some circles with your ankles.
— Richard Simmons (@TheWeightSaint) March 18, 2024
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.
Love,
Richard— Richard Simmons (@TheWeightSaint) March 18, 2024
After his initial thread confused some, Simmons later posted a message to clarify that he was fine and was simply trying to motivate people to be their best.
Sorry many of you have gotten upset about my message today. 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.
Love,
Richard— Richard Simmons (@TheWeightSaint) March 18, 2024
“Sorry many of you have gotten upset about my message today. 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 wrote.
Simmons was a television regular in the 1980s and 1990s and taught aerobics classes in person in Los Angeles before, People magazine noted, he suddenly vanished from public view in early 2014.
Rumors circulated at the time that he might have been terminally ill while some people believed he had been kidnapped.
People reported he suffered a significant knee injury.
In November 2014, he took to his Facebook page to thank people for sharing concern for his well-being.
“I am so touched by the outpouring of love and concern I have received today. 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,” Simmons wrote. “Make sure you keep Sweatin’!”
Two years later, a representative for Simmons said that his decision to walk away from public life was one rooted in a desire for privacy.
“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 representative said.
In a January Facebook post, Simmons said he said he was living a “peaceful” life of solitude.
