Richard Simmons wants his fans to know that he's "happy" and that he continues to care about them despite vanishing from the public eye about a decade ago.
The reclusive weight loss legend, 75, has been checking in with fans on Facebook recently amid the news that comedian and actor Pauly Shore will play him in a potential biopic.
"Hi Everybody! I wanted you all to know that I am fine and I am happy. I have had a lot of people ask me for interviews. But right now I don’t want to do them. It is a gray and rainy day here in Los Angeles, but my heart is filled with your kindness towards me," Simmons wrote Jan. 22 on Facebook.
He signed the post, "Love, Richard."
The upbeat post comes nearly a week after Simmons, who shot to fame in the 1980s with his “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” workout videos, told fans that he had nothing to do with Shore’s potential movie about him.
“You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore. I have never given my permission for this movie. So don’t believe everything you read,” Simmons wrote Jan. 17 on Facebook.
“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.
He reiterated in a Jan. 23 Facebook message that he's "retired" and is no longer in need of a manager or publicist.
"I hope you all are eating healthy and making some time to work out," he also wrote.
On Jan. 17, Shore announced that will portray Simmons in a potential biopic that’s currently in development at the Wolper Organization.
The "Encino Man" star is currently portraying Simmons, wearing Simmons' signature workout clothes of short shorts and a sequined tank top, in a short film called "The Court Jester," which premiered last week on YouTube.
After Simmons distanced himself from Shore's biopic, Shore responded to say that he wasn't making the movie to make fun of the exercise guru.
Shore said during an interview with Variety, “It’s never been vindictive. I’m not Borat. I’m not ‘let’s make fun of someone.’ It’s the opposite. At this point, it’s an unauthorized biopic and they’re made every day. Yes, I want him to put his pixie dust on this and say, ‘Go for it, Pauly.’ It’s Richard being Richard. It’s sensitive. We don’t want to bug him. We want him to be left alone and we don’t want to bug him. We want to pay homage to him and kiss his feet and say he’s done beautiful stuff. Who’s going to play Richard Simmons? Leonardo DiCaprio is not going to play Richard Simmons. I look like him."
The Wolper Organization responded to Simmons' comments about the movie in a Jan. 17 statement obtained by NBC News.
“While we would love to have him involved, we respect his desire to privacy and plan to produce a movie that honors him, celebrates him and tells a dramatic story," the statement read.
The statement added, “We know he is deeply private and we would never want to invade that, (however) he is an amazing person, that changed millions of people’s lives and the effect he has had on the world needs to be recognized.”
Simmons followed up his comments disavowing Shore's biopic with a post on Jan. 19 that sounded like one of his trademark pep talks to fans.
"All I want for all of you is to be happy and peaceful. Please don’t let anyone be mean to you or put you down," he wrote. "You don’t deserve that. Never forget I keep all of you in my prayers every single night. Know your worth."
His recent Facebook posts come after years of Simmons eschewing the public spotlight. His reclusiveness for the past decade has made headlines and inspired the popular podcast “Missing Richard Simmons.”
In March 2016, Simmons called in live to TODAY to debunk rumors that he was being held hostage by his longtime housekeeper.
In August 2022, Simmons posted on Facebook after TMZ released a documentary called “TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons.”
“Thank you, everyone, for your kindness and love! Love, Richard,” he wrote in a message that Simmons' spokesperson at the time confirmed was authentic to TODAY.com.