Just two months after the world was worried that Richard Simmons was dying, a show about the fitness guru’s life may be coming to Broadway. The 75-year-old legend took to his favorite social media platform, Facebook, to share the exciting news.
© GettyImagesOn March 14, Simmons wrote, “I am so excited! I just got off the phone with a friend of mine who is an attorney and manages famous artists in music. She ran an idea by me…..she wants to do an interactive Broadway show about my life.” Sharing some details about the setup he explained, “The seats on the ground floor will be removed so people can work out to some of the musical numbers in the show.”
Following the news, Simmons told Page Six, he is already full of ideas, “I am so excited about the prospect of my own Broadway show. I have so many ideas, and I’m writing them all down.” “Broadway is in my blood!” he added.
© GettyImagesSimmons has been very active on Facebook this year, especially now with the exciting Broadway news on his mind. He’s been sharing some of his favorite stories watching shows, like when he saw Dames at Sea starring Bernadette Peters, Dreamgirls with Jennifer Holiday, Evita with Patty LuPone, Cats with Betty Buckley, Rent with Idina Menzel, and more.
Will this be Richard Simmons’ return to the public eye?
If the show comes to life, it could be the first time we see Simmons publicly promoting one of his ventures since 2014.
While Simmons is stoked about the Broadway prospect, we can not say the same about the news there was a biopic about his life in the works. When he caught wind of it, he made it clear he did not approve.
For several years, aside from sporadic Facebook posts, Simmons enjoyed his privacy, which sparked some wild rumors. He spoke out in 2016, calling into the Today show to refute rumors that he was being held hostage by his housekeeper. “I am not kidnapped. I am just in my house right now,” he said. “No one should be worried about me. The people that surround me are wonderful people who take great care of me.”He then shared his first Facebook post in six years in 2022, following the release of TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons. The documentary claimed that he underwent a right knee replacement that left him in pain. Doctors allegedly told him he needed a left knee replacement, but he refused to do so after being too traumatized by the first operation.
His longtime rep, Tom Estey, told The Post at the time, “He is happy, healthy, and living the life he has chosen to live.” Simmons then wrote on Facebook, “Thank you, everyone, for your kindness and love. Love, Richard.” Simmons has been very active on the social media site ever since.
