Despite what one podcaster may have thought, Richard Simmons isn't missing. The fitness guru let his fans know that he was doing just fine and, in fact, hopes to see them soon. It was the first time Simmons had spoken directly to his fans in three years.
The note was in response to a recent health scare that sent him to the hospital. Simmons says it was just severe indigestion, but knowing fans might be concerned, he decided to break his silence, sending a statement directly to People.
“Hello to everyone who has shown concern for me and sent their good wishes. You will never know how much it means to me," he wrote, before joking, "Aren’t you sick of hearing and reading about me?! LOL."
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Clearly, Simmons is aware of the controversial podcast Missing Richard Simmons from former The Daily Show producer, Dan Taberski, which looked to explain his mysterious disappearance from the public eye. (Simmons has not been seen in public since 2014.) The concern for Simmons' well-being even led to the LAPD, investigating Simmons' well-being, despite reports that he was in contact with close friends and relatives.
In his statement, Simmons wrote that "by now you know that I’m not ‘missing,’ just a little under the weather. I’m sure I will be feeling good and back home in a couple of days." Being the ray of sunshine he is, Simmons used his statement as a way to encourage his fans to never be afraid to ask for help.
“This has reminded me that when you need help you can’t be afraid to reach out and ask for it," Simmons said of his health scare. "We all think we should always be able to solve our problems all by ourselves and sometimes it’s just bigger than we are.”
While all of that is good news, there was an extra bit of news that may surprise fans. Simmons ended his statement by saying, " Just knowing you care has already made me feel better. Hope to see you again soon!”
Recently, Simmons pursued a deal to secure the rights to “merchandising, endorsements, and licensing opportunities” for all Simmons-related products. We can only hope Simmons is planning another round of Disco Sweat videos.