Richard Simmons Says He’s “Not Dying” Hours After Claiming He Is In Cryptic Social Media Post: “Sorry For This Confusion”

By Samantha Nungesser @samjnungesser
Published March 19, 2024, 9:09 a.m. ET

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Everyone can breathe a sigh of relief because Richard Simmons is not dying — despite his cryptic social media post claiming he was.

On Monday (March 18), the famed fitness personality — who largely disappeared from public life about 10 years ago — posted a concerning message on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter).

“I have some news to tell you. Please don’t be sad. I am ….dying,” he wrote. “Oh I can see your faces now. The truth is we all are dying. Every day we live we are getting closer to our death. Why am I telling you this?”

He followed up the post with health tips, reminding followers to eat a healthy breakfast every morning and use his workout videos on YouTube to get the body moving. He also said, “There is something else very important that you must do. Tell the ones that you love that you love them. Hug those people and children who you really care for.”

Simmons’ original message, however, left followers thinking that he was actually “dying” — so much so that he posted a clarification later in the day.

“Sorry many of you have gotten upset about my message today. Even the press has gotten in touch with me,” he wrote. “I am not dying. It was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have. Sorry for this confusion.”

Richard Simmons
Photo: Getty Images

A spokesperson for Simmons also told CNN that he can “confirm with 100% certainty that Richard is not dying.” He added, “He’s, in fact, very healthy and happy. The sole purpose of the post was meant to be inspirational.”

While Simmons has been rather reclusive in recent years, he recently spoke out against an upcoming biopic in which Pauly Shore is playing him. He wrote on Facebook, “You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore. I have never given my permission for this movie. So don’t believe everything you read.”

However, he appeared to have a change of heart as Shore revealed at Sundance Film Festival that Simmons had texted him “good luck” before a screening of The Court Jester, a short film that will eventually become the full-length biopic.