Richard Simmons Reveals Skin Cancer Diagnosis After Scaring Fans With Cryptic Post About Dying
The fitness guru is speaking out about his health.
March 20 2024, Published 9:55 a.m. ET
Richard Simmons revealed he was diagnosed with skin cancer — only days after scaring his millions of fans with a vague social media post about dying, RadarOnline.com has learned.
On Tuesday, the 75-year-old fitness guru posted a lengthy message on his Facebook page explaining his health situation.
The fitness guru revealed the news on Tuesday.
Simmons said he recently noticed a "strange-looking bump" under his right eye. His dermatologist discovered it was basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer.
“I sat in his chair and he looked at it through a magnifying mirror. He told me he would have to scrape it and put it under the microscope. Now I am getting a little bit nervous,” he said. “He comes back about 20 minutes later and says the C word. You have cancer. I asked him what kind of cancer and he said. Basel [sic] Cell Carcinoma. I told him to stop calling me dirty names. He laughed.”
Simmons scared fans earlier this week with a vague post about dying.
Simmons visited Dr. Ralph Massey, who specializes in skin cancer surgery.
“He explained that he has to burn my skin to remove the cancer cells,” Simmons wrote. “There was no numbing it just had to be done with a small instrument. As he started burning my skin a tear dropped down my cheek. You can’t cry during this and he wiped my tear. The burning really hurt my skin. It lasted about 30 minutes.”
Simmons did not reveal if he needs future treatment for the cancer.
In his post, he explained the doctor told him to return to the office later that day to make sure the cancer had been fully removed.
“After driving around the city, I went back to some sad news. I didn’t get it all out,” he said. “He burned my face again. This time was worse than before…It was deeper. I did not cry this time but I did grit my teeth.”
Simmons ended the post writing, “To be continued."
The news comes after Simmons shocked fans with a odd post on Facebook earlier in the week.
"I am ….dying. Oh I can see your faces now. The truth is we all are dying. Every day we live we are getting closer to our death. Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to enjoy your life to the fullest every single day. Get up in the morning and look at the sky… count your blessings and enjoy," he wrote. Many believed Simmons was in his final days due to the post but the fitness guru quickly clarified on his account.
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The fitness guru has kept a low profile since 2014.
He told his fans, "Sorry many of you have gotten upset about my message today. Even the press has gotten in touch with me. I am not dying. It was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have. Sorry for this confusion."
Simmons has kept a low profile since 2014 when he left the business. In 2017, the police conducted a welfare check on Simmons after an old friend raised concern about his well-being. The police determined Simmons was "perfectly fine" and did not need their assistance.
