Famous as the producer of Sweatin’ to the Oldies, a fitness & workout videos, Richard Simmons also got career prominence as an American TV actor & remained professional from 1968 to 2014.
Well, Simmons is low-key meanwhile & avoids media attention that even led many false rumors including captivity of the actor as well as gender reassignment.
Initially, Richard weighed 268 lbs while as a high-school graduate, and later lost 123 lbs & opened the gym Slimmons. Along with growing prominence through weight-loss programs, the fitness instructor then opened up his gym in Beverly Hills (closed in 2014).
The actor the famous for hosting TV shows Slim Cookin and The Richard Simmons Show, also made notable appearances on The Howard Stern Show (1990) and The Larry Sanders Show (1992).
What Is Richard Simmons’ Net Worth In 2020?
As of May 2020, Richard Simmons has the net worth of $20 million.
He earned massive sum through the weight-loss program as well as TV ventures.
Weight Loss & Workout Videos: Journey To Massive Fortune
Simmons initially worked as a salesman & waiter in Los Angeles, before he took an interest in fitness. Thereafter, he opened up many gyms & even more, lost 123 lbs (53 Kg).
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Famed for his energetic personality, Richard then became fitness instructor & gained huge fame with the release of aerobics videos Sweatin’ to the Oldies, that made over 20 million sales in total.
Moreover, the sales of his diet plan Deal-A-Meal contributed considerable economic increment.
The American fitness guru, known for his distinguished costume- a tank tops and Dolphin shorts & Afro wig, opened his work-out studio The Anatomy Asylum.
Later, he renamed the work-out studio as Slimmons.
Business Line & Books
Apart from these, Richard Simmons also ran his own line of dolls sold through Home Shopping Network & got additional earnings through merch sales including his signature costume.
Till date, Simmons has released 12 fitness books including some best-selling: Still Hungry After All These Years: My Story, Sweetie Pie: The Richard Simmons Private Collection of Dazzling Desserts and Steam Away the Pounds.
Did you know? The Louisiana-born fitness personality’s fitness course helped people to lose 12 million pounds in total.
TV Appearances: Incident in Letterman’s Show
A frequent guest-star on Howard Stern’s The Howard Stern Show (in the 80s & 90s) and on Late Night with David Letterman, Richard now implies low-key rule in his PDA.
Back in November 2000, while in Late Night with David Letterman, Simmons appeared dressed as a Turkey & Letterman sprayed out the first extinguisher on him.
Although it was a part of a joke, the incident caused the fitness guru with an asthma attack. As a result, for 6 years, Simmons did not attend Letterman’s show until his return in November 2006.
Also, the American fitness figure & actor appeared in Whose Line Is It Anyway? then-hosted by Drew Carey and in The Rosie O’Donnell Show alongside guest-star Celine Dion.
For a fact, Richard Simmons gained notable fame through a recurring role in General Hospital featuring Nancy Lee Grahn.
Simmons’ Personal Life: Family & Education
Richard was born Milton Teagle Simmons on July 12, 1948, in New Orleans, Louisiana. His father Leonard Douglas Simmons Sr. worked as Methodist and mother Shirley May, a Russian Jewish, was a traveling fan dancer turned cosmetic saleswoman.
Simmons holds American nationality and is of mixed ethnicity.
He has a brother named Lenny Simmons.
The Cor Jesu High School (Brother Martin High School) attendant later went to University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Thereafter, he enrolled at & obtained a BA in Arts from Florida State University.
How Old Is Richard Simmons Now & His Height?
As of September 2019, Richard is 71 years old and has a height of 5 ft. 5 inches (169 cm).
Is He Married Or Dating?
Regarding his relationship status, the American fitness guru remains tight-lipped. No official report on his married life or wife is out yet.
Even though back in 2017, Simmons’ relationship with his housekeeper Mexico-born Teresa Reveles (who claims herself as his wife) made highlights, the fitness instructor is yet to confirm the report.
Currently, he lives in Beverly Hills, California lives in two maids and owns Dalmatian dogs.
Worth of Simmons’ Residence: House & Cars
The American millionaire fitness instructor lives in his 4-bedroom & 5-bathroom house in Los Angeles. Built in 1937, the 4,119 sq. ft. property features a black-bottom swimming pool.
Reportedly, he bought the 2-story house in 1982 for $670,000, which now is estimated to be worth millions of dollars.
He reportedly drives Range Rover & Hyundai cars.
Hiatus From Media Appearance: False Rumors Of Death & Captivity
Ever since 2014, Richard Simmons began to avoid media appearances, many rumors began to surface; some claimed his death while some pointed that his housekeeper kept him hostage.
The issue became more intense after his gym in LA closed without public consent in 2017.
Moreover, a podcast named Missing Richard Simmons launched was launched in February 2017 to discuss the reason for his media hiatus.
However, after a welfare check in March 2017, the LAPD detective stated that Simmons was good.
And in April 2017, he posted a Facebook photo after hospitalization following severe indigestion.
Sexuality Claims: Backfire Of Lawsuit
During the on-going retreat from media, some sources made commented on his gender reassignment.
In response, Richard Simmons backfired & sued the National Enquirer, Radar Online and American Media, Inc. in May 2017, though, lost the lawsuit.
Also, he sued Los Angeles private investigator Scott Brian Mathews in June 2018, claiming he put a tracking device on his vehicle.
And a month later, it was revealed that In Touch Weekly had hired the investigator & the fitness guru charged them with a criminal complaint. But since then, no update on the case is out.
Any Activity In Social Media?
Richard Simmons, at one time, was active in social media platforms like Instagram & Twitter though barely uses it now.
But still, as of September 2019, the American actor & fitness expert has over 16.8K followers on Instagram while the Twitter followers count 50.3K.
His most recent Instagram post was on January 17, 2014, & made a Tweet stating sales in the store in January 2019.
