Richard Simmons has disappeared, but he is happy!

Kelly Taylor

Richard Simmons, who built a fitness empire and became known as a jovial health preacher in the 1980s, has mostly disappeared from public view in recent years.

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Simmon’s Fitness empire

The infamous loner was very much in the public eye throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

Simmon’s disappearance

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He regularly appeared on daytime and evening talk shows and released cookbooks, infomercials, and exercise videos.

He once appeared regularly

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However, there has been a considerable amount of internet mockery generated by the events regarding his location and well-being.

Mockery on internet

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The film "TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons" suggests that a medical condition was the real cause of his disappearance. 

Simmon’s medical condition

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At birth, he wasn’t born with a full set of foot bones, which caused him trouble physically and mentally; weight gain was one of them.

His Illness

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The TMZ report claims that Simmons' right knee surgery left him in unease and made him reluctant to seek a left knee surgery as well.

Knee Surgery

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While Simmons' health was the topic of various reports in 2017, his secretary assured CNN that "everything is fine."

Everything is fine

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He now walks with the help of a cane and doesn’t want to come out as an ill person to the public; he wants to remain cheerful and jovial in public.

Reason behind his disappearance

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On Wednesday, the health expert celebrated his birthday, and per his agent, Tom Estey, his 75th birthday is a "big event." They also mentioned that he’s happy.

Simmon’s 75th birthday

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