Richard Simmons was everywhere in pop culture, until one day he wasn’t. His final years were shrouded in mystery as he retreated from the public eye, barely speaking with the public up until his death in 2024.
FILE – In this June 2, 2006, file photo, Richard Simmons speaks to the audience before the start of a summer salad fashion show at Grand Central Terminal in New York. (AP Photo/Tina Fineberg, File)
Many questions remain about Simmons and what happened in that time, something Diane Sawyer hopes to answer for curious fans in her new ABC special, “The Mystery of Richard Simmons: A Diane Sawyer Special.”
Sawyer goes in depth with his inner circle, including his house manager, Teresa Reveles, who was the last person to see him alive. “This is the first time I’ve spoken about it,” she says in the trailer, later describing the moment she discovered him dead in his home.
The documentary special will also delve into Simmons’ origins, going from bullied kid to beloved fitness icon.
“We’re all waiting for support from others, and sometimes we don’t get it,” Simmons says in a clip featured in the trailer. “That’s why God made me.”
FILE – Richard Simmons arrives at the Project Angel Food’s 2013 Angel Awards in Los Angeles on Aug. 10, 2013. Simmons, a fitness guru who urged the overweight to exercise and eat better, died Saturday, July 13, 2024, at the age of 76. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File, File)
Simmons’ manager, Michael Catalano, addresses his decision to retreat from the public eye after a near lifetime of television, movie, and public appearances.
“He felt the loveuntil he didn’t,” Catalano says.
We also get a glimpse inside Simmons’ house in Hollywood with his family, including a closet full of his signature, sparkly workout gear.
ATLANTA – MAY 01: Richard Simmons attends the 2010 World Fitness Day at the Georgia Dome on May 1, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Moses Robinson/Getty Images)
“The Mystery of Richard Simmons: A Diane Sawyer Special” premieres May 12 on ABC and is available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu starting May 13.
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