Los Angeles - Police recently visited fitness guru Richard Simmons’s house on a welfare check after rumours persisted that his housekeeper was holding him hostage.
They found him “perfectly fine” and “very happy", People reported on Thursday. The article did not say when police made the check. But TMZ, quoting “law enforcement sources", said it was about two weeks ago.
On February 15, 2014, Simmons disappeared from the public eye and stopped speaking with close friends. He hasn’t been seen since, leaving many to wonder about his safety.
Recently, interest in the reclusive celebrity has grown with the launch of Missing Richard Simmons, a new podcast hosted by former The Daily Show producer Dan Taberski. It’s quickly become the most popular podcast on iTunes. On it, an old rumour resurfaced: that Simmons’s maid Teresa Reveles is holding the aerobics instructor at his home against his will.
“There was something about his housekeeper holding him hostage and not allowing people to see him and preventing him from making phone calls and it was all garbage and that’s why we went out to see him. None of it is true,” Detective Kevin Becker told People. “We went out and talked to him. He is fine, nobody is holding him hostage.”