RICHARD SIMMONS ALARMED many of his fans this week when he took to Facebook to share a lengthy post in which he appeared to state that he is dying. Since then, the famous fitness instructor has clarified his meaning, stating on Twitter that he is not dying, but that rather his intention was to encourage everyone to look after their own health and wellbeing, and live in the moment.
“I have some news to tell you. Please don’t be sad. I am ….dying,” Simmons wrote on Facebook on Monday, March 18. “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? 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.”
He continued to share dietary, lifestyle and fitness advice in the post, but a lot of people’s attention was quite understandably grabbed by that opening statement, and Simmons’ generic “we’re all going to die so let’s live right now” message got lost—to the point that reporters began getting in touch with him for comment about his health status.
Simmons quickly apologized later the same day for causing such concern, and issued an important clarification.
“I am not dying,” he wrote. “It was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have. Sorry for this confusion.”
This isn’t the first time that the disconnect between Simmons’ real life and social media presence has caused a stir. Back in 2014, Simmons’ choice to withdraw from the public life while staying active online became the subject of an investigative podcast, Missing Richard Simmons.
While Missing Richard Simmons came under criticism for the dubious ethics—the entire project amounted to harassing Simmons and invading his privacy—it also proved hugely popular, topping the podcast charts and seemingly serving as a testament to the enduring interest in this once-prolific, now-reclusive figure.
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