A biopic is in the works for Richard Simmons, but the fitness guru has not given his blessing to the film, which will star comedy actor Pauly Shore.
In a rare statement, Simmons, 75, said he is not participating in the biopic about his life, Variety reported. Simmons expressed his displeasure on his social media accounts, including on his verified Facebook page.
“You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore,” Simmons wrote. “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,” Simmons added. “I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful. Thank you for all your love and support.”
Shore is also starring in a short film in which he depicts Simmons, Deadline reported. “The Court Jester” will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday and then will be available on YouTube, according to the entertainment news website.
The film short, which is unrelated to the biopic, is directed by Jake Lewis. The biopic is being produced by The Wolper Organization, a subsidiary of Warner Bros., CNN reported.
“While we would love to have (Simmons) involved, we respect his desire to privacy and plan to produce a movie that honors him, celebrates him and tells a dramatic story,” The Wolper Organization said in a statement, according to Variety. “We know he is deeply private and we would never want to invade that, however he is an amazing person that changed millions of peoples’ lives, and the effect he has had on the world needs to be recognized.”
“I’m really excited about sharing Richard Simmons’s life with the world,” Shore said in a statement. “We all need this biopic now more than ever. Simmons represented mental health, getting people in shape and being his authentic silly self! Whenever he was on TV you could never take your eyes off of him and he brought such a joy to his appearances that represented nothing but a good time.”
Simmons was the subject of a 2022 TMZ documentary, “TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons.”
The documentary focused on Simmons disappearing from the public eye, People reported. It also revealed that knee problems had kept Simmons out of the limelight.
Simmons’ absence from the spotlight has been the subject of rumors through the years, fueled by the podcast “Missing Richard Simmons,” People reported. It gave rise to several claims, including Simmons being held hostage by his housekeeper and possibly transitioning into a woman.
According to Entertainment Tonight, Simmons called the “Today” show in March 2016 to refute the hostage claims.
“No one is holding me in my house as a hostage,’’ Simmons told Savannah Guthrie on the air, according to “Today.” “You know, I do what I want to do as I’ve always done so people should sort of just believe what I have to say because like I’m Richard Simmons!”
In 2017, Simmons sued two tabloid publications that alleged he was transitioning, Fox News reported. Simmons’ attorneys have said he supports transgender rights but believed the allegations defamed him.
Simmons rose to fame because of his flamboyant, eccentric personality and his successful line of “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” aerobics videos, according to Variety.
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