Richard Simmons clarifies ‘I am dying’ social media post
“I have some news to tell you,” Richard Simmons shared Monday. “Please don’t be sad. I am….dying.”
Simmons, 75, posted the message on X, formerly Twitter.
“The truth is we all are dying,” he said. “Every day we live we are getting closer to our death.”
After some fans became worried about those words, the fitness guru clarified his meaning.
In his original post, Simmons, who uses the handle @TheWeightSaint, used his “news” to introduce a series of messages about the importance of healthy eating and movement.
“Why am I telling you this?” he said. “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.”
Clearing up the whole “I am dying part,” Simmons said he didn’t intend to say he was actually dying.
“Sorry many of you have gotten upset about my message today,” he said in a follow-up post Monday afternoon. “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.”
After spending years away from public life, Simmons responded in January to news that Pauly Shore would possibly be playing Simmons in a movie based on the short film “The Court Jester.”
“You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore,” Simmons said. “I have never given my permission for this movie. So don’t believe everything you read. I no longer have a manager, and I no longer have a publicist. I just try to live a quiet life.”
Since then, Simmons, who said he was retired, has been sharing stories, including many childhood tales, as well as affirmations and tips on X/Twitter.
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Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com and followed at @AmyKup.
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