19 Jan – Fitness guru Richard Simmons is distancing himself from the upcoming biopic about him, just a few hours after the project was announced. Sharing his views on Facebook, Simmons said that he had never given his permission for the movie and urged the public not to believe everything they read.
"I no longer have a manager, and I no longer have a publicist. I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful. Thank you for all your love and support," he added. Earlier, it was reported that Pauly Shore will play Simmons in a movie about the latter's life. Shore previously attracted attention for how much he resembles Simmons.
He has also portrayed Simmons in "The Court Jester", a short film that will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. Shore has shared that he's excited about sharing Richard Simmons's life with the world, saying, "We all need this biopic now more than ever. Simmons came to represent 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."