It's sweating time!
Downloaded from YTS.MX
NARRATOR: Richard Simmons, who was one of the most
visible celebrities in America...
I kiss and hug more people than the Pope.
Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX
He had the biggest heart you could ever imagine.
He deeply cared about people.
I always welcome everyone with unconditional love.
MAN: You couldn't turn on a TV without seeing him.
Everybody in the audience got one today!
[audience cheers]
NARRATOR: But then, in 2014, he just vanished.
It was almost like you were going to a funeral,
but of a person who is still living.
NARRATOR: Richard Simmons has not been seen
in public ever since,
for more than eight years,
and the theories are wild,
including one that his housekeeper, Teresa,
is holding him hostage.
MAN: Richard, are you okay, Richard?
NARRATOR: Some people think Richard is dead.
Others think he's no longer Richard.
I called him. I said, "Hi," he said, "Oh, hi".
I said, "So let me ask.
Are you becoming a woman?"
NARRATOR: Some think Richard vanished
because he seemed to carry the weight of the world
on his shoulders.
There is a tremendous burden you take on
when you connect with so many people that are sharing with you
their challenges, their burdens,
and it can really drag you down.
I was always so surprised when he thought I'd make fun of him.
But doesn't that show you he's got like a heart ache?
♪
Something's broken inside?
NARRATOR: We have answers.
We know where Richard is,
and why he vanished.
And what he's up to now.
I happen to be a very serious person.
Uh, and pretty much a recluse.
NARRATOR: Tonight...
♪
I'm interviewing people here at the airport to see if they work out.
Richard Simmons was one of the most visible people in entertainment.
[crowd cheers]
He was everywhere. On TV...
- Good to see you. - Hi, everybody!
Look at this!
HARVEY: Radio...
[both singing "You Send Me"]
HARVEY: Infomercials...
Now, with my program you can live the healthy life
you've always dreamed of.
And you can start right now.
He showed up at countless public appearances.
[sings "I Believe I Can Fly"]
On the surface, Richard seemed to love being in the spotlight.
I don't know, I'd be too shy to meet her.
No! Oh, my God!
You saw it?
CHARLES: He was loud...
[all mumble, scream]
- CHARLES: Emotional... - Most people don't have peace on this Earth...
because we're so easy to be judgmental.
He really was committed to spreading love and compassion.
He was on a mission to help millions of people get healthy.
I've made enough money to last me the rest of my life,
to take care of my mother, to be good to my friends
and my brother and my family,
but this is a cause.
I'm on a mission. I'm here on a mission.
I always welcome everyone with unconditional love.
That's just the way I was raised.
Richard was just everywhere.
- Are you having a good time? - Yes, yes, we are.
- You guys having a great time? - [all cheer]
WOMAN: Richard. - ♪ We're having a party
[laughter]
- ♪ And everyone's partying - WOMAN: Yeah!
♪
KATIE: Until he wasn't.
The date, February 15th, 2014.
Richard just disappeared.
Never to be seen again publicly.
It was almost like you were going to a funeral,
but of a person who's still living.
For more than eight years, Richard's been MIA.
And there was a lot of theories,
failing health, depression,
grieving the loss of his beloved dog.
Some even think he's being held hostage by his housekeeper.
HARVEY: There actually are answers.
We know where Richard is,
but to understand what happened to him,
why he retreated, you have to understand
his early life, his struggles,
and how his experiences shaped him
into one of the most famous people in America,
fame that ultimately proved too much of a challenge.
♪
I went through a lot of hurt as a child.
I was... I was the largest child in school.
Uh, I was, at the age of 15, I was 200 pounds.
I went to my first Halloween party dressed as a couch.
I--I was... I was the one made fun of,
and all these things were kind of working against me
and I felt very bad about myself.
Richard was born in 1948 in New Orleans,
and something that happened to him at birth
has a direct connection to his disappearance.
A birth defect that significantly affected one of his legs.
He was born without a full set of bones in his foot,
and it caused physical and emotional problems.
Richard found comfort in food,
and he gained weight, a lot of it,
and that put a lot of stress on his knees.
Now, remember this, because Richard's knees
and his disappearance are connected.
It was the perfect storm.
Food became Richard's best friend,
and a lot of it was deep fried.
I had a true compulsion for food.
I didn't get it from my mom, or dad,
'cause they were very thin.
But there was something about a fried oyster po'boy,
there was something about crawfish etouffee,
there was something about that food,
that crispy fried chicken,
and those mashed potatoes
that said, "Hello."
And I couldn't stop it.
He didn't have any friends,
and he was unmercifully bullied.
When I was in high school and I'd go to the bathroom,
they would put lighter fluid under the stall,
and then light a match to it.
- Really? - To burn my legs.
I found that food was my friend.
When I brought a D home in chemistry,
my mother and father screamed and yelled,
the cookies remained calm.
Now, food became an obsession.
By the end of high school, he weighed 268 pounds.
It was five stores from my house
to the Catholic school, St. Louis Cathedral,
and I stopped in all five of them.
And--and I ate, and, uh...
then I didn't want anyone to know that I ate,
so I'd then take the wrappers
and hide them in the Kotex boxes.
I mean, you think... You know, you think it's funny,
but, again, you don't want your parents to know.
Richard tried everything from diet pills to laxatives,
even throwing up, and ultimately, starvation.
I only ate lettuce and drank water for two and a half months.
Uh...
and I lost 137 pounds, but I almost died,
and I ended up in the hospital.
I was dehydrated, I was anorexic, I was bulimic... I was lost.
Richard was a mess, and a nurse told him
his life was in danger.
Someone asked me the question,
"Do you wanna live, or do you wanna die?"
And I had tried all the ways to lose weight and die.
And I said, "I wanna live."
And that really changed his entire life.
Richard knew the struggles all too well,
and he wanted to help others.
He felt it was a mission of life or death.
Then I got that... You know, that--that love affair with making somebody happy,
- which is very important to me. - Richard had dreams of making it big,
so he moved to Hollywood, and like most people
who have a vague idea of breaking into entertainment,
Richard's first job was a maître d'
at a West Hollywood restaurant called Derrick's,
a celebrity hot spot.
At any given day, you could walk downstairs
to where the piano bar was and you could see
Elton John just get up and start playing the piano,
Lucille Ball could be there, Orson Welles,
Ed McMahon was a regular customer.
Richard would meet everybody with just a scream,
literally screaming at the door,
and if a man came to the door
and they had a tie he would cut their tie off.
People that would order certain things,
and Richard would be at the table, and he would just,
out of the blue, say, "No. That's not good for you.
You know, I think you should have a salad." It was hysterical.
Richard caught the eye of some pretty important people
in the business, but his immediate goal
was to open an exercise studio.
He saved 25,000 bucks and did just that in 1974.
A studio called Anatomy Asylum, which ultimately became
the famed Slimmons.
Hi! Are you gonna come and sweat?
- MAN: I would love to. - Slimmons. You gotta come!
Slimmons was the staple. It was the go-to facility.
It was your destination for fitness.
Richard Simmons' classes
were so infectious, they were electric.
Every time was different than the other.
You didn't even know what he was gonna wear. [chuckles]
You didn't even know what kind of attitude he was gonna be in,
which 99% of the time was nothing but excitement,
you know, he was just oozing with joy.
He would go there and he would really teach,
and it was truly easy for everyone to do.
Hands up! Put your hands up! Give me your clapping!
DENISE: He wasn't mean, he was encouraging,
he was motivating, he cared about each person,
and he truly, truly was part of it, because everyone could do it.
He was so encouraging to every body type.
He really brought in people from all over, from different types
and he cared about them,
and he could do anything because he was so lovable.
There'd be times where, you know, he would get a little emotional.
He'd be crying, you know, he'd be sobbing,
you know, there'd be, you know, snot coming down his nose sometimes,
but, you know, it was...
It was--it was beautiful in a way.
Richard's career was about to explode.
He became the improbable fitness guru to millions of people,
and the armchair shrink to thousands of people
whose desperate struggles mirrored his own.
Now, that is critical in understanding
why Richard Simmons ultimately just vanished.
- NARRATOR: Coming up... - A lot of people just need to be hugged,
and--and they need to be told they're loved.
Richard becomes a lifeline for millions of people,
a burden that was just too much to bear.
DR. PHIL: There's a tremendous burden you take on
when you connect with so many people that are sharing with you
their challenges, their burdens,
their guilt over their fitness or their weight.
If you don't have the ability to compartmentalize that,
it can really drag you down.
NARRATOR: When "What Really Happened to Richard Simmons?"
rolls on.
♪
How are you all doing?
[all cheer]
Richard was on a roll. He was making a splash in the fitness industry,
and then he landed a gig on "General Hospital,"
where he played himself, helping an overweight girl.
Now, what is the worst thing in the whole world for you to eat?
- ALL: Chocolate! - Right.
And what is the best thing to eat?
- ALL: Veggies! - And--and who is the biggest bully in the whole world?
ALL: [giggling] You are!
You said you were gonna say Leslie.
- Hi, Madeline! - Richard was a hit and stayed for two years.
I went into my dressing room one day,
and there were these stacks of...
of these letters in these big post office bins.
It took up a whole wall,
and I thought they were for Luke and Laura.
She said, "Richard, those are all your letters,
"because whatever you did this week on the show
"with these two people, these two ladies,
who had to lose weight must've struck a cord."
He took these letters to heart,
answering every one, offering advice,
offering comfort, but that empathy... it can take its toll.
There's a tremendous burden you take on
when you connect with so many people
that are sharing with you their challenges,
their burdens, their guilt over their fitness
or their weight, or whatever,
and if you don't have the ability to compartmentalize that
it can really drag you down.
Richard's exercise studio was becoming a monster hit.
Hi, I'm Richard Simmons. My first Anatomy Asylum in Los Angeles
was the start of something great.
A great national network of 72 clubs
in 13 cities, including yours,
where people like you can lose weight and look good and feel great.
KATIE: Lots of people tried to make a killing in the fitness industry.
There was a simple reason Richard hit it big.
He made it fun, he made fitness fun,
and truly that's what it's all about,
to get people off the couch and just move.
It was easy that everyone can do it, so they felt accomplished,
and the way he made them feel makes you feel good inside.
And this was just the beginning for Richard. More opportunities followed,
- a motivational talk show... - [with French accent] Just bring me a salad, okay?
Monsieur, your salad.
My doctor says if I even have one little teeny bite of this
I can cause a whole epidemic.
Six cookbooks...
The new book is called "Sweetie Pie."
[cheering and applause]
And everybody in the audience got one today!
[cheering]
The money was rolling in.
And, get this, he sold $160 million
in weight loss cards that people put in their wallets
to figure out food portions.
♪
Oh. I have to ask you something.
Are you a cookie monster?
How about a lettuce salad with orange segments,
six walnuts and two tablespoons of low cal dressing?
He hosted a cooking show called "Slim Cooking," and then...
It's party time! Come on, Kim!
- Come on out! - KATIE: The blockbuster workout video,
"Sweatin' To the Oldies."
♪ Bump and grind
♪ And one, two You'll get it.
It was the biggest-selling workout video ever,
grossing north of 200 million bucks.
He created the look, the hair, the shiny skin
with the baby oil on it, and the tank top, and the short shorts,
and the energetic moves all the time.
I think people really liked him. He was an authentic freak,
and I mean that in the best possible way.
And the audience to whom he was catering
were people who needed someone to love them.
WOMAN ON THE PHONE: I have 120 pounds to lose,
and I'd like to know what is gonna make me
want to do this for myself.
What do I hear in your voice?
Uh, depression?
- Do I hear depression and sadness? - Very sad.
FABIAN: Now, Richard was besieged by desperate fans
suffering from obesity, depression, low self-esteem,
and he made it his mission to help everyone.
I kiss and hug more people than the Pope.
At public appearances, Richard was
mobbed by people, but here's the thing about him.
He would stay for hours and talk to everyone he could trying to help them.
If I go to a mall and there's 4,000 people there
and I stay and I kiss and kiss and hug,
because a lot of... A lot of people just need to be hugged
and--and they need to be told they're loved.
He had the biggest heart you've ever imagined.
He deeply cared about people.
He would call them up to see how they're doing.
Do daily check-ins with people.
He really felt he could really help everyone.
This lady's lost 70 pounds!
[all cheer]
I can tell you from being someone that deals with people
and deals with their problems and deals with their challenges
that takes a lot out of someone.
I pray a lot, which helps with the stress
of what I really do besides being a court jester.
I call hundreds of people a week...
who are 200 pounds, 400 pounds.
It is incredible how Richard would spend hours
helping a stranger who reached out for help.
I had just had my first baby, and had gained weight.
I couldn't afford to go to a gym and I thought,
"I'm gonna just reach out to Richard Simmons."
I sent him, I think, an email.
And the next thing I knew, he called me,
and he spent about an hour and a half on the phone with me.
He wanted to know everything about me.
He wanted to know about my kids,
my husband, my family.
He said, "I'm gonna call you weekly
"and walk you through this, and we're gonna get you back
to where you wanna be."
- Richie! - Hi!
- Come here! - How you doing?
And get this. There were tour buses
that would regularly drive by Richard's Hollywood Hills home,
and he'd always come out and talk to the passengers.
[indistinct chatter]
Oh, my God, she's a cheerleader.
Look at her. You-- [screams]
- [laughter] - MAN: Oh, my God, they ran over his foot.
Even after a car ran over his foot,
and while he was bleeding he kept on chatting.
He refused to go to the hospital until after the bus left.
- No, I'm gonna be okay. - Are you sure?
No, no. It's bleeding, but don't worry about it.
The blood is dripping, but no, I'm fine.
I love your wife. Oh, no, it's okay.
- And this is your husband? - This is my...
So you'd think Richard was the most social guy in town.
He certainly was the loudest.
MAN: How you feeling?
♪ I'm...
♪ Wonderful
♪ Start spreading the news
HARVEY: But that wasn't the real Richard Simmons.
It never was.
The real Richard was quiet, withdrawn,
a loner.
The exact opposite of what people saw.
He was quieter when we were just by ourselves.
Having breakfast, Cinnamon Crunch, or whatever that thing is,
he used to make... [giggles]
He was a guy that at 10:00 at night
he was putting on his creams and going to bed.
After spending so many hours talking to people,
I think he would... kind of just...
want to be a little quiet.
Richard talked about who he really was
on the Sklar Brothers podcast in 2012.
RICHARD:
When Richard was off, he was totally off the grid.
I happen to be a very serious person.
Uh, I'm pretty much a recluse. I don't really go out that much.
In other words, what you saw publicly, well... it was an act.
I get to act out all my fantasies
in front of an audience, hoping that through that message
they will get some kind of reaction to their own lives.
but I'm really basically kind of a quiet person.
BRUCE: He was a performance artist.
He had a character. I think he was a traditional,
uh, fat guy who lost a lot of weight,
and was very insecure about himself,
and, uh, presented a picture to the public.
DR. PHIL: Your public persona and your private persona,
they can blur themselves
because it's like, "Who am I really?
"I spend more time being that person than I do who I am
when I'm not on."
You kind of can forget who's really who.
BRAD: As for who Richard really is, he's truly a solitary man,
a man who comes home, and shuts out the world around him.
I spend a lot of my day... crying, to be very honest with you.
BRAD: His life seems incredibly lonely, but it's by his own choosing.
And I do get lonely once in a while, but you have to...
you have to turn that loneliness into solitude.
Richard Simmons is a real quiet, kind of recluse person.
- I really don't go out. - Really?
I, uh, I never leave my hotel room.
I've never been to a bar or a disco. I don't--I don't party.
So I spend my time alone and think about my life, and re-energize me.
The time that I have by myself, I'm good to myself.
I lead a very disciplined life, and that's the way I like it.
When he was off, he would get very emotional,
because things, uh... little things hurt him deeply.
Because he... There was a part of him
that had never really... grown up.
I'm 65... and I'm still a kid.
And I think like a kid. I...
I don't think like an adult.
Richard told "Men's Health" that he tends to internalize
everyone else's struggles.
He said...
If you put yourself out there as something perfect,
you'll never succeed, uh, for a continued time,
because you'll keep revealing what's not, um...
operating at optimum on you or in you.
I think it was in his head. I think it was emotional...
that he wasn't enough.
NARRATOR:
My advice to anyone who's watching...
is, number one, love yourself.
NARRATOR: Richard just disappears.
Nobody expected it. It was totally out of left field.
I liked him. I was always so surprised
when he thought I'd make fun of him,
which doesn't that show you he's got like a heart ache?
Something's broken inside?
NARRATOR: When "What Really Happened
to Richard Simmons?" continues.
♪
♪ You're never fully dressed without a smile ♪
[laughter]
Richard Simmons was raking in
millions and millions of dollars.
He was famous, successful, loved by millions of people
he never even met, but privately Richard was struggling.
He was playing a role 24/7 that was the exact opposite of who he was.
And to top things off, he would very willingly allow
famous people to make fun of this over-the-top character that he played.
He didn't show it, but it really hurt his feelings in a big way.
MAN: But what's the point of this?
Just to make people feel good and laugh. [voice breaks]
- And to talk about--? - Whether they're laughing
with me or at me, doesn't mind...
It hurt him when they made fun of him, when Letterman
put a fire extinguisher on him.
I mean, he played it and you can actually see
he's distressed.
I know one night that I was on the Larry King show,
and he was either going to be a guest,
or supposed to be a guest, and I heard
through the Larry King people that he didn't want to be
on the show with me, and I said, "Why?"
And he said, "She'll make fun of me,"
and that's not my style anyway. I never made fun of anybody.
But that's when I realized, "Oh, a little insecurity has gotten in there."
I liked him. I was always so surprised when he thought
I'd make fun of him, but doesn't that show you
he's got like heart ache?
Something's broken inside?
Maybe that's what we liked about him.
Maybe we saw behind the facade.
Maybe we saw that deep inside was really a fragile guy,
like a fine piece of crystal that can break very easily,
'cause he--he did it, he had it. And then let it go.
By 2012, a full two years before he disappeared,
Richard was thinking about packing it in.
In the last few years, he talked a little bit
about retiring, like, "What are you gonna do if I retire?"
kind of thing, so I know it was in his mind
for a few years before he actually did it.
- MAN: Hi, there, Mr. Simmons. - How are you doing?
I'm pretty good. How's everything in--?
Happy New Year's to you and all your viewers.
HARVEY: On January 11th, 2014,
Richard showed up for a charity event.
It was his last public appearance, but no one knew that but him.
Now, we got him out that same night, and Richard was not his energetic self.
You count your blessings and enjoy every day that you have.
You know, we live in a world now where a lot of people
don't have very much self worth,
and I think when you have self worth you can inherit the Earth.
Then a month later, February 15th, 2014,
Richard's a no show at his Slimmons class.
Since 1974, he'd made weekly appearances.
- Studio. - [cheering and applause]
But then suddenly... he wasn't there anymore.
Nobody expected it. It was totally out of left field.
Nobody could have braced for impact either,
and the sign on the door said...
KATIE: Days passed,
weeks, months...
Richard was simply gone.
There is no announcement, no calls. He just... disappeared.
When it came to Richard Simmons' closing of the studio, it was just very sudden.
His manager came to the studio and he really wanted
to read a letter that Richard Simmons had wrote for everybody.
DERRICK:
The mystery would eventually lead to a house call
by LAPD detectives.
There were stories that Richard was being abused
and fingers were pointed at one particular person.
There were even stories Richard was dead.
So what happened to Richard Simmons?
Well, we're about to break down the evidence,
and if you've been watching closely,
it's a good bet you may be able to figure this out.
- ♪ ♪ - NARRATOR:
I've lived with a beautiful Mexican woman
for 19 years, named Teresa.
NARRATOR: Wild theories on what happened to Richard...
When Richard disappeared from public view,
Teresa was literally the gatekeeper.
We got photos of her standing outside
of his Hollywood Hills home, keeping would-be visitors away.
BRUCE: I called him and I said, "I've been reading about you,"
and he said, "Yeah, I know." I said, "So let me ask.
Are you becoming a woman?"
NARRATOR: "What Really Happened To Richard Simmons?"
returns after a short break.
♪
- ♪ Lonely girl - Hi, Richard. We meet--we meet again.
- I was just singing. - What was that, "Lonely Girl?"
I was doing "Lonely Girl," but I'm now gonna break
- into Rihanna's song. - Let's hear it.
♪ Where have you been, baby?
- ♪ Where have you been all my life? ♪ - [laughter]
It's one of the great mysteries of pop culture.
How someone who outwardly showed a love of people,
who seemed filled with joy, who can light up a room
with nuclear energy...
just plain vanished.
Now, there are various explanations,
some whispered, some screamed around town,
but, based on what we know, a few are bogus,
and a few ring true.
There's a sinister theory that his housekeeper,
Teresa Reveles, was allegedly holding him hostage,
Teresa was way more than a housekeeper.
She was the closest person to Richard in his life.
She's worked for him for more than 30 years.
The relationship wasn't sexual, but it was so deep
that he sometimes said she was like his wife.
I've lived with a beautiful Mexican woman,
for 19 years, named Teresa.
I have a very... isolated life.
Teresa was richly rewarded.
Richard got her a Mercedes, a house,
and, speaking of houses, some people thought
she might've been the boss of his.
When Richard disappeared from public view,
Teresa was literally the gatekeeper.
We got photos of her standing outside
of his Hollywood Hills home, keeping would-be visitors away.
♪
One of his friends filed an elder abuse claim
with the LAPD.
The LAPD went to his house on Friday night
to do a welfare check, because they thought
somebody might be abusing him.
And a detective by the name of Kevin Becker
told us Richard was fine, that he had made the decision,
on his own, to withdraw.
He seemed articulate, relaxed, lucid.
He'd grown a beard. Everything seemed okay, except Richard was limping
because of knee problems.
The cops concluded Teresa was simply
a fiercely loyal employee and friend,
but Richard was the boss of the house,
and that view is shared by people close to him.
Anybody who thinks that anybody can hold Richard hostage doesn't know Richard.
Teresa wouldn't even dream of...
Uh, it's the sort of thing that wouldn't even cross her mind.
She loved Richard. Holding him hostage is just nonsense.
So once the cops left and we broke the story
that they were there to investigate that he was being held hostage,
Richard finally broke his silence, and he called "The Today Show."
RICHARD: No one is holding me in my house as a hostage.
You know, I do what I wanna do,
as I've always done.
So people should sort of just believe
what I have to say,
because, like, I'm Richard Simmons.
And then the theory, Richard was no longer Richard.
"The National Enquirer" published a story saying
that he had transitioned to a woman,
now going by the name of Fiona.
Now, that sent Richard over the edge.
He sued "The Enquirer" for defamation,
saying the story was false and malicious.
So when I saw "The Enquirer," I called him.
He picked up the phone and, uh, I said, "Hi."
He said, "Oh, hi." And I said, "I've been reading about you."
He said, "Yeah, I know."
And I said, "So let me ask.
Are you becoming a woman?
"Or, when they say you're transitioning,
does that mean you're on the way out?"
And he said, "I'm not transitioning in any way."
I said, "Great. Good to hear,"
and he said, "Well, I have to go now," and that was that.
Richard lost the lawsuit, not because the story was true. It wasn't.
But for Richard to win, he would have to prove
that the lie subjected him to scorn and ridicule.
The judge said, "Being transgender
doesn't automatically expose people to hatred."
And for those who do hate people in the transgender community
the judge simply said he would not recognize them.
There's another theory.
Richard didn't have many friends,
and his beloved dogs actually filled that space.
He had eight Dalmatians and, with the passing of each,
Richard was heartbroken.
In 2014, just before Richard disappeared,
the last dog, Hattie, died at age 17,
- and Richard was inconsolable. - He loved his dogs.
Every time one of the dogs died, and there were eight,
you hear people go, "You look like your dog died."
That's kind of what it would be with Richard
when the dog died.
He was brokenhearted.
I don't know whether the last one
was worse than the first one.
In fact, I'm not so sure that the first one wasn't
more heartbreaking.
I can't say that I think that the dogs dying
made him feel more likely to retire.
The dogs... pretty sure had nothing to do with that.
For decades, his life was all about helping people,
many of whom were desperate.
I need a couple of dollars. This man...
This man has not eaten, and he's homeless.
- Are you okay? - You're so nice.
KATIE: And he would carry around this burden
and he became so emotionally invested.
He was like a therapist.
And at a point, that just becomes too much to bear.
I always welcome everyone with unconditional love.
That's just the way I was raised.
DR. PHIL: I've known professionals
throughout my 45+ year career
that really took to heart the pain and the problems
instead of the hope and the coping,
and it--it just really dragged them down,
and they didn't have the ability
to compartmentalize that.
You have to have the ability to put a boundary around that,
a fence around that, and say, "Okay, that's done."
And if you don't have that compartmentalization ability,
then you never get away from it.
It can absolutely break you.
Maybe he's just liking not being in the public eye.
Maybe he likes not having to...
put baby oil all over his body every day.
Maybe he likes not having to be this era's Jerry Lewis.
It's a lot of work to put out that kind of energy.
This is Brenda. She's a nurse and I love her.
This is Iris, who I love. Hi, Iris.
TANIA: He's got hundreds if not thousands of individuals
that he's investing.
I mean, he was investing his own emotion,
his own self into their stories,
and into their families.
So, I would imagine, after all of those years,
that would get very tiring, and that he would
need to kind of back off.
There are lots of theories on why Richard disappeared.
Sometimes the real answer is right under our nose.
The fact is we have already hinted at it,
and Richard's disappearance has to do with one
of the oldest principles in show biz:
"Always leave them laughing."
- ♪ ♪ - NARRATOR:
Richard, are you okay, Richard? If you're okay let us know.
NARRATOR: Turns out Richard's disappearance
is directly connected to a physical problem
that dogged him for decades,
and Richard didn't want his image recast
from a vibrant fitness guru to... well, something else.
- That's totally Garbo. - NARRATOR: "What Really Happened To Richard Simmons?"
The answer when we come back.
♪
There's something we've heard from several people
who are very close to Richard.
He wanted to be remembered as a vibrant, healthy man.
Oh, my God. What are you doing?
MAN: You're in a tutu! Look at you!
Oh, my God! Come in.
HARVEY: Not an elderly man with medical problems.
Richard wanted to retreat before his image
was recast as an old man,
and his knee problems were a huge factor in his decision.
Richard's knee problems got measurably worse over time.
He had a right knee replacement a few years back,
and still needed a left one. He was in a lot of pain.
I think it played... His knee thing played into him saying, "Enough's enough."
Because if he couldn't do his best,
and he didn't wanna get his other knee done,
and he couldn't feel like he could really go full tilt like he always did.
I think it was just part of a few different things
that made him realize that...
it was time to retire.
I've been doing this for 40 years and so... that's what I do.
FABIAN: We know doctors told Richard back in 2014,
around the time he disappeared,
that he needed a left knee replacement,
and if he didn't get one he might never
be able to exercise again.
Now, this is key to the disappearance
of Richard Simmons.
When it came to working with Richard Simmons and his knees,
I remember that there was like a constant conversation
amongst, you know, the class members, they were like,
"You know what? Richard Simmons, you know,
needs a knee replacement."
The prospect of surgery,
of becoming sedentary, caused Richard to sink
into a deep depression.
There were two things that Richard was selling,
which was ebullience, enthusiasm.
And you know me, I'll do anything to make them laugh and sweat.
- MAN: Oh, dude, I love it, man. - 'Cause I was born this way!
- I love this fit. Oh, my God! You go, boy. - Yeah!
And getting himself into good shape.
So to be seen in any kind of pain or discomfort,
uh, and or at any lower level
than 100% of joy would be a real problem for him,
because that was... that was his brand.
We know, to this day, Richard still hasn't gotten
corrective surgery on his left knee.
He walks with a cane, and that explains a lot.
- He's just not the same guy anymore. - He was loathe to have surgery.
He was just generally afraid of surgery, and afraid of... how it would change him.
He was afraid that the fix would--would make it worse.
♪
There's one LAPD detective who has talked to Richard
over the years since he disappeared.
He's talked to him on the phone,
in person, and he doesn't wanna be identified,
but he told me that Richard told him
that he just didn't wanna be remembered
as this frail guy.
He wanted to be remembered as a guy
that millions of people loved and watched,
and that's why he disappeared.
That's totally Garbo.
Garbo retired in 1945
and she lived for 50 years after that,
and mostly in--in seclusion,
and I think Richard has the same thing.
I mean, I think absolutely he didn't wanna be seen old.
But I would say that, like, you know, there comes a moment
I think, when you need a double knee replacement, especially at that age,
that you kind of start thinking, "How does this affect the overall picture?"
You know what I mean? "Am I gonna be able to bounce back from this?
What do I really want at this time in life?"
I think he had an idea which more people
should frankly have of stopping while he was...
at the top, rather than waiting until he got older and weirder.
At some point, when you're such a high energy guy,
it's time to stop, and it's time to just say good-bye.
Your zest for life, it all comes from taking care of yourself,
eating healthy and exercising, and so we're gonna do it here at Slimmons.
MAN: I'm enjoying it. Do you think you're gonna do it for another 63 years?
You know, I wanna live to be 100 really, really bad,
so like I'm eating like a lot of salads and praying a lot
and doing a lot of bun squeezes.
- Okay. - So I don't know. Maybe. You know.
So over the last few years, there were
some mysterious trips to the hospital.
In 2016, Teresa dialed 911
and Richard was rushed to the ER.
Some people thought he was seriously ill,
but then Richard went on Facebook and said he was just dehydrated.
HARVEY: This is one of the only photos of Richard since 2014.
When he returned from the hospital,
he was sitting in the back seat
and Teresa was riding shotgun.
KATIE: There were other trips to Cedars,
and we know at one point the LAPD actually created
a human shield around him
to escort him back inside his home.
REPORTER: Richard, please, are you okay, Richard?
Richard, are you okay, Richard?
Please, give us a word if you are okay. Let us know.
FABIAN: Fact is the Richard who has vanished
is more authentically himself
than the loud, sometimes crazy persona that he created.
Richard himself has said over the years
at his core he's a loner, a quiet person
who's more at peace alone.
- People may say that I'm very lonely. - Why would they say that?
Well, a lot of people here sort of know me.
They've been coming here for ten, 20, 30 years.
I don't go out. See? I--I don't go to parties.
I don't go to people's homes.
I--I... once in a while go to a movie.
I mean, do I get lonely on the road sometimes,
sitting in a room?
Do I get lonely on a plane sometimes,
traveling 200-- Yes, I do.
You get to a point in your life
where maybe you decide,
"It's my time and it's my turn.
"Enough's enough and too much is too much.
"And I'm gonna do what I wanna do, and what I wanna do
"is be by myself and kind of hang out,
and find some solitude and some peace."
If you see someone that has an extreme personality,
when they make changes, they tend to be extreme changes.
BRAD: Richard's been a recluse for years.
Paparazzi agencies are obsessed with getting a photo, a video.
Really, anything of Richard.
Never have I seen this amount of time pass
and not be able to find somebody,
even the toughest of celebrities to photograph
the Tom Cruises, the Brad Pitts,
who go to great lengths to make sure they're photographed
when they want to be photographed.
Even they are more findable than Richard Simmons.
Richard Simmons absolutely takes the award for best hide.
Richard Simmons seemingly became a shut in,
a man who chose self imprisonment
in a beautiful home, never to venture out.
Well, this is the last twist in the story,
because we know those prison gates often secretly opened.
- ♪ ♪ - NARRATOR:
RICHARD: You know, I just enjoy this time by myself.
NARRATOR: Turns out Richard hasn't disappeared from public view,
it's just he figured out a way nobody notices him.
Over the years, we've been told that Richard
has cleverly figured out ways of living his life in plain sight.
NARRATOR: After the break, the conclusion of...
♪
- MAN: Mr. Simmons, how are you? - Hi.
- [chuckles] - How are you?
Richard Simmons has not been spotted in public
for more than eight years,
but not for lack of trying.
We did invest quite a bit of time
and we were not able to--to find him.
He's given up public life entirely,
and, on the surface, it looks like he's just
confined himself to his beautiful Hollywood Hills estate,
which, by the way, looks like Tara from "Gone With the Wind."
RICHARD: I take walks, and I take drives and, you know,
I just, you know, go out and get some fresh air
and I have a gym upstairs
and I've been working out in my gym.
And so I just sort of, you know,
enjoy this time by myself.
So how is he able to do that and not be spotted?
Well, over the years, we've been told that Richard has cleverly figured out ways
of living his life in plain sight,
but I think even Sherlock Holmes would have a tough time
cracking this caper, because Richard is a master of disguise.
Maybe he's dressing up so extravagant
that even the best eye can't spot him.
So Richard is gone.
Gone from public view and maybe gone for good.
It's sad for millions of his followers
who loved him, people who relied on him,
but if life is a prison sentence,
Richard has done his time helping people,
and now it's his time to do what he wants.
Although, his life does seem pretty lonely.
♪
SUZANNE: I'm sorry that he's not out there,
'cause I think that he would be fun,
especially now that there's so much content
and social media.
He could make it again, if he wanted to.
I have not talked to Richard since March of 2014.
I did try reaching out, but... he's never responded.
I would only add that... just to tell Richard
who's probably gonna watch this,
that he's missed and he's still loved,
and if he ever felt like unretiring,
we'd all be here for him.
I guess I might move back to California for that,
and, um... call me.