Editing Richard Simmons (section)

===Retirement===
After 2014, Simmons did not make any major public appearances. He stopped appearing in public altogether on February 15 of that year. In March 2016, speculation began that he was being held hostage by his housekeeper.<ref name="Yahoo20160313">{{cite news|url=https://www.yahoo.com/celebrity/richard-simmons-missing-two-years-191101708.html|title=Richard Simmons Has Been Missing for Two Years, Friends Concerned He's Being Held Hostage|publisher=Yahoo News|date=March 13, 2016|access-date=March 13, 2016|archive-date=October 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171005094818/https://www.yahoo.com/celebrity/richard-simmons-missing-two-years-191101708.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="NYDN20160312">{{cite news|url=http://interactive.nydailynews.com/2016/03/richard-simmons-disappeared-twisted-mystery|title=Where's Richard Simmons? Twisted mystery has friends concerned|author=Andy Martino|newspaper=Daily News|location=New York|date=March 12, 2016|access-date=March 13, 2016|archive-date=July 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715043215/http://interactive.nydailynews.com/2016/03/richard-simmons-disappeared-twisted-mystery/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In response, on March 14, Simmons gave an audio interview on ''[[The Today Show]]'', denying the rumors and assuring the public that he is fine.<ref name="CNN20160313">{{cite web|title=Richard Simmons speaks out on his absence|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/13/entertainment/richard-simmons-mystery-feat/index.html|publisher=CNN|date=March 13, 2016|access-date=March 14, 2016|archive-date=March 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313205153/http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/13/entertainment/richard-simmons-mystery-feat/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In November 2016, the Simmons fitness gym closed without any public announcement from Simmons.<ref name="close">{{cite news|url=https://www.tmz.com/2016/11/19/richard-simmons-slimmons-studio-closed/|title=Richard Simmons 'Slimmons' Closes ...No Sign of Richard|date=November 19, 2016|work=TMZ|access-date=April 17, 2020|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111182936/https://www.tmz.com/2016/11/19/richard-simmons-slimmons-studio-closed/|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2017, the podcast ''[[Missing Richard Simmons]]'' launched, investigating why Simmons left public life so suddenly.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.missingrichardsimmons.com/|title=Missing Richard Simmons|website=Missing Richard Simmons|access-date=February 27, 2017|archive-date=February 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227232108/https://www.missingrichardsimmons.com/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In March the same year, [[Los Angeles Police Department]] detectives visited Simmons' home to conduct a [[Wellness check|welfare check]], issuing a statement that Simmons is "perfectly fine" and that "right now he is doing what he wants to do and it is his business".<ref name="HP20170310">{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/richard-simmons-is-perfectly-fine-lapd-says-after-visit_us_58c28013e4b054a0ea69c484|title=Richard Simmons Is 'Perfectly Fine', LAPD Says After Visit|author=Ron Dicker|work=HuffPost|date=March 10, 2017|access-date=April 17, 2020|archive-date=November 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171102060740/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/richard-simmons-is-perfectly-fine-lapd-says-after-visit_us_58c28013e4b054a0ea69c484|url-status=live}}</ref> On April 19, following a hospitalization for severe [[indigestion]], Simmons made his first public comment in over a year, posting on Facebook a photo of himself and the message "I'm not 'missing', just a little under the weather".<ref name="guardian-19apr2017">{{cite news|last1=Holpuch|first1=Amanda|title=Richard Simmons makes statement for first time in a year: 'I'm not missing'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2017/apr/19/richard-simmons-speaks-missing-rumor-statement|access-date=April 19, 2017|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=April 19, 2017}}</ref> However, the picture that was included in the post was from as far back as 2013, leading to speculation that the person who posted the message might not actually have been Simmons.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/celebrity/richard-simmons-speaks-directly-to-fans-for-first-time-in-three-years/ar-BBA2WPd?OCID=ansmsnnews11|title=Richard Simmons Speaks Directly to Fans for First Time in Three Years|website=[[People (magazine)|People]] via [[MSN]]|date=April 19, 2017|access-date=April 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420144228/http://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/celebrity/richard-simmons-speaks-directly-to-fans-for-first-time-in-three-years/ar-BBA2WPd?OCID=ansmsnnews11|archive-date=April 20, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Corinne|last=Heller|title=Why This 'New' Richard Simmons Photo and Message Make His Disappearance Even More Confusing|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/844557/why-this-new-richard-simmons-photo-and-message-make-his-disappearance-even-more-confusing|website=[[E! News]]|date=April 19, 2017|access-date=April 20, 2017|archive-date=April 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420013438/http://www.eonline.com/news/844557/why-this-new-richard-simmons-photo-and-message-make-his-disappearance-even-more-confusing|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Dan|last=Clarendon|url=http://www.wetpaint.com/where-is-richard-simmons-facebook-post-1584582|title=Someone Updated Richard Simmons' Facebook, and We're Not Sure It Was Him|website=[[Wetpaint]]|date=April 19, 2017|access-date=April 20, 2017|archive-date=April 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420143414/http://www.wetpaint.com/where-is-richard-simmons-facebook-post-1584582/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In May 2017, he sued the ''[[National Enquirer]]'', [[Radar Online]], and [[American Media, Inc.]] for libel and false claims that he was undergoing [[gender reassignment]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2017/05/richard-simmons-sues-national-enquirer-over-transition-story.html|title=Richard Simmons sues media companies for libel and false accusations of being transgender.|last=Kiefer|first=Halle|date=May 8, 2017|website=Vulture.com|access-date=May 6, 2017|archive-date=May 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511084557/http://www.vulture.com/2017/05/richard-simmons-sues-national-enquirer-over-transition-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2017, Simmons lost the lawsuit and was ordered to pay the defendants' attorney's fees. The judge ruled, "because courts have long held that a misidentification of certain immutable characteristics do not naturally tend to injure one's reputation, even if there is sizeable portion of the population who hold prejudices against those characteristics, misidentification of a person as transgender is not actionable defamation absent special damages".<ref name="sfgate-21sep2017">{{cite news|last1=Kenneally|first1=Tim|title=Richard Simmons Ordered to Pay National Enquirer's Legal Fees in Transgender Story Lawsuit|url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/the-wrap/article/Richard-Simmons-Ordered-to-Pay-National-12219069.php|access-date=September 21, 2017|newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|date=September 21, 2017|archive-date=September 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922024459/http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/the-wrap/article/Richard-Simmons-Ordered-to-Pay-National-12219069.php|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In June 2018, he sued a Los Angeles private investigator, claiming that more than a year earlier, the investigator had placed a tracking device on the only vehicle Simmons used for transportation, noting that such tracking is in violation of California law.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/richard-simmons-sues-pi-tracking-device-1117220 |newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter |first=Jonathan |last=Handel |date=June 5, 2018 |title=Richard Simmons Sues PI Over Tracking Device |access-date=July 21, 2018 |archive-date=July 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180721103104/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/richard-simmons-sues-pi-tracking-device-1117220 |url-status=live }}</ref> In July 2018, Simmons amended the suit, alleging the investigator had been hired by ''[[In Touch Weekly]]'' and prosecutors filed a criminal complaint.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/prosecutors-charge-private-eye-spying-richard-simmons-1128873 |newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter |first=Eriq |last=Gardner |date=July 20, 2018 |title=Prosecutors Charge Private Eye With Illegal Spying on Richard Simmons |access-date=July 21, 2018 |archive-date=July 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180721021836/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/prosecutors-charge-private-eye-spying-richard-simmons-1128873 |url-status=live }}</ref> In May 2020, a California appellate court upheld a trial judge's decision allowing Simmons' lawsuit to move forward.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/amphtml/tracking-richard-simmons-car-not-212106843.html|title=Tracking Richard Simmons' Car is Not Free Speech, Court Rules|date=May 21, 2020|access-date=November 20, 2020|archive-date=January 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126102856/https://sports.yahoo.com/amphtml/tracking-richard-simmons-car-not-212106843.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In August 2022, in response to continued rumors and a [[TMZ]] documentary ''What Really Happened to Richard Simmons'' claiming that knee problems forced Simmons out of public life, Simmons issued a statement to the ''[[New York Post]]'' that he is "happy, healthy, and living the life he has chosen to live".<ref>{{cite web |date=August 26, 2022 |title=Richard Simmons breaks silence, tells The Post he's 'living the life he has chosen' |url=https://nypost.com/2022/08/26/richard-simmons-breaks-6-year-silence-after-bombshell-doc/ |access-date=August 27, 2022 |website=New York Post |language=en-US |archive-date=August 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826233649/https://nypost.com/2022/08/26/richard-simmons-breaks-6-year-silence-after-bombshell-doc/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Teresa Reveles, who worked as Simmons' house manager and was often erroneously referred to as his housekeeper in news reports, said that Simmons retired due to failing knees which required surgery and made him unable to have the flexibility necessary to teach his fitness classes. He did not want to continue working if he was not able to fully perform up to expectations. Simmons was also nervous about aging, claiming to her that he did not "look that beautiful anymore". Even after he retreated from the public spotlight, he still frequently traveled outside of his house locally in disguises and continued to motivate fans by calling and emailing them as much as he could.<ref name=breakssilence/> He also would donate money to charities he supported, including the [[Kiwanis]] Children's Fund.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 16, 2024 |title=Richard Simmons was a Kiwanis Children's Fund donor |url=https://www.kiwanis.org/richard-simmons-was-a-kiwanis-childrens-fund-donor/ |access-date=October 24, 2024 |website=Kiwanis |language=en-US }}</ref>

Two days before his death, Simmons had conducted his first interview in a significant amount of time with ''[[People (magazine)|People]]''. On his birthday, Simmons stated that he is grateful to be alive for another day and would spend his birthday helping people. Instead of cake, he stated he would have a candle on a zucchini, stating he is a vegetarian. He added, "Okay, fine. Maybe one Pepperidge Farm Milano cookie. But just one. Sure, once in a while, have dessert."<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Sheeler |first1=Jason |last2=Lynn Shultz |first2=Cara |title=Richard Simmons Says He Is Celebrating His 76th Birthday with 'Candle on a Zucchini' (Exclusive) |url=https://people.com/richard-simmons-celebrating-76th-birthday-candle-on-zucchini-exclusive-8677078 |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]] |access-date=October 17, 2024}}</ref> He was also calling and motivating people again and writing a [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] musical about his life in collaboration with composer Patrick Leonard, as well as planning for a longer comeback interview with [[Diane Sawyer]].<ref name=breakssilence/>