Richard Simmons breaks silence on 75th birthday with rare statement

Richard Simmons has made a rare public statement. 

On the fitness guru’s 75th birthday, his rep told ET, “This is a big milestone. I just want to see him happy, which he is.”

The notorious recluse spent much of the ‘80s and ’90s squarely in the public eye. He was a fixture on daytime and late-night talk shows, putting out cookbooks, infomercials and workout videos. 

His 1988 VHS tape “Sweatin’ To The Oldies” was the biggest selling fitness home video of all time, grossing over $200 million.

After decades in the spotlight, fitness guru Richard Simmons all but disappeared in 2014, leading to rampant speculation.
Sygma via Getty Images

Then, in 2014, he mysteriously vanished from the spotlight, prompting wildly varying speculation about what had happened — including rumors that his housekeeper was holding him hostage, or that he was transgender and was now a woman named Fiona. 

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