Richard Simmons became the subject of a controversial podcasts

 Richard Simmons was the subject of a controversial podcast about him going ‘missing’ seven years before his death.

The fitness guru, who died aged 76 on Saturday, was the subject on one for the first ever viral podcasts in 2014.

Missing Richard Simmons, which was made by journalist Dan Taberski, looked into the whereabouts of the fitness guru,  after he stopped running hit fitness classes and stepped away from public life.

The piece was compared to Serial – the hugely popular podcast about the trial and conviction of Adnan Syed – spending three weeks at number one, but was called ‘morally suspect’ by critics who saw it as journalists tracking down a man who ‘didn’t want to be found’.

Wild theories came about from internet sleuths about TV personalities whereabouts. 

Some conspired he was transitioning gender, others alleged he was being held hostage by his maid.

But where was he really? At home, alive and well.

After the podcast came out, Simmons publicist, manager, brother and two officers from the Los Angeles Police Department all said he was at his Hollywood Hills mansion and doing fine.

The New York Times branded it ‘morally suspect’  after Taberski said it was ‘was coming from a place of love and coming from a place of real concern’.

‘Is this what friends do? Turn their loved one’s personal crisis into a fun mystery investigation and record it for a hit podcast? 

‘Taberski  spent six episodes investigating his subject’s whereabouts, making it most popular podcast in the US and inspiring an international obsession with Simmons’ well-being…. The relationship between journalists and subjects shouldn’t be confused with friendship,’ critic Amanda Hess wrote.

Meanwhile, the Rolling Stone said he was making a ‘public spectacle’ of his friends disappearance, while the Week added ‘no one is talking about how insensitive this podcast is, and how it disregards the privacy a man who wishes, for whatever reason, to be left alone,’.

Vox said it brought up ‘serious discussions’ about ‘intrusion’ while Vulture  

He even called Entertainment Tonight, explaining he was safe and well and that ‘it’s time right now for Richard Simmons to take care of Richard Simmons.’ 

‘He didn’t need this intrusion to validate his contribution to people,’ Catalano said in an interview with the Associated Press at the time. 

‘He knows the reception [the podcast] is having. He knows how people are responding to it. 

The LAPD did a welfare check in January 2015 after they received a tip with an elder abuse claim and found he was fine. 

Simmons was walking with a limp and answered the door with a beard, but he appeared to be in good health, law enforcement officials told TMZ. 

However, the scandal forced him to call into chat shows to deny the reports and insist that all was well.

‘No one should be worried about me. The people that surround me are wonderful people who take great care of me,’ he said at the time.

Of Reveles, he added: ‘She’s been with me for 30 years. It’s almost like we’re a married couple.’

The theories about Simmons’ relationship with his housekeeper reached fever pitch in March 2016 when his friend and massage therapist made shocking claims that Teresa Reveles was controlling the fitness personality through ‘black magic’ and ‘witchcraft’.

At the time when Mauro Oliveira made the claims, it was believed Simmons was depressed after suffering from a knee injury and dealing with the death of his beloved dog Hattie.

However, Oliveira made waves after he wrote a self-published e-book recounting his impression of what has happened to Simmons titled King Rich and the Evil Witch.

Speaking to the NY Daily News, Oliveira explained that he struck a fast friendship with Simmons in 2013 and recounted the details of their last meeting in 2014.

The massage therapist, former assistant, friend and visual artist visited Simmons’ home after receiving a phone call from the 67-year-old saying the two needed to talk. 

According to Oliveira, Simmons told him he wanted to be alone, and that the two could no longer see each other. 

Shortly after, the Brazilian was thrown out of the house when Simmons’ house keeper Teresa Reveles reportedly forbade him to go upstairs and shouted at Oliveira to get out. 

Oliveira told the news website Simmons said ‘yes’ when he asked whether Reveles was controlling his life.

Oliveira said: ‘I think it was [caused by] black magic, witchcraft. That’s not close to your culture, but to my culture in Brazil, and to Mexicans, that is a real thing. They invoke the spirits.’ 

He later said: ‘It’s extremely hard to explain to you how someone is when they are tormented by bad force. That’s the thing. F***ing Teresa is putting black magic on him.’

However, Simmons has accused his former assistant of blackmail, stalking and extortion for peddling a false story that he was transitioning to become a woman.

The star made the claims in a lawsuit against the National Enquirer and Radar Online in Los Angeles Superior Court as his lawyers claimed Oliveira maliciously sold false information to the two outlets to profit from the eccentric fitness guru’s time out of the spotlight and that they published them claims he was transitioning while knowing they were false.

He claimed that while Oliveira was ‘pitching’ the ‘hurtful’ stories, he was also sending Simmons emails threatening to ‘destroy his reputation’ unless he agreed to pay him to stop. 

However, Simmons ultimately lost his defamation lawsuit against American Media Inc. and was ordered to pay $130,000.

After six years offline, the aerobics guru made a virtual comeback for his multi-generational 355K followers/subscribers at the start of the global coronavirus pandemic.

In March 2020, the flamboyant fitness expert began uploading weekly workout videos from his eighties hey-day as well as more semi-recent clips to encourage fans confined in quarantine.

‘The revival is due to fans clamoring for him to return and lead them through at-home exercise routines again,’ an insider told TMZ on Friday.

‘Richard’s team obliged with the new video posts. Simmons’ team is also working on a new line of licensed products to be released later this year.’

It was revealed that despite his lack of public presence, the Sweatin’ to the Oldies star – who once topped the scales at 268lbs – continues to encourage his ‘clubhouse members’ with newsletters containing recipes and other tips.

On August 24, 2022, the star sent a direct message to his fans on Facebook as he wrote: ‘Thank you, everyone, for your kindness and love! [red heart emoji] Love, Richard.’

Fans were quick to send their well wishes as one wrote: ‘I’m so proud of you for taking time for yourself. You’ve given so much of yourself to the world, and now it’s your time. Good for you… Thank you for blessing and inspiring me so richly’.

Another added: ‘You are one of the most beautiful human beings on Earth. Thank you for always being so kind. You have helped so many of us. I’m so sorry for the pain you’ve endured. Blessings to you always!’