Richard Simmons had exited the public eye to live a reclusive life years before his death at 76.
On Saturday, the popular fitness guru was found dead at his home.
Simmons entertained fitness enthusiasts with his iconic “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” workout videos for decades, garnering widespread fame throughout the ’80s and ’90s.
His popularity even led the aerobics instructor to appear in comedy shows like Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Saturday Night Live, and The Larry Sanders Show.
But after so much success, Simmons quietly stepped back from his public life in February 2014.
Simmons’ sudden absence from the limelight made his fan base curious about his whereabouts and even spurned a podcast speculating on his disappearance.
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2014
One of Simmons’ reps revealed the TV personality’s exit was both gradual and deliberate, as he explained, “We were turning down stuff for years and just kind of quieting down, and when he decides that he wants to come back, that’s when he’ll come back, and when that will be, I have no idea or if he will at all.”
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