Secret Confession! Richard Simmons Told Friends About His Gender Issues
Jun. 8 2016, Published 5:18 p.m. ET
Richard Simmons has been living a life of freedom behind the walls of his Hollywood home, ever since deciding to embrace life as a woman. But on the heels of The National ENQUIRER's explosive world exclusive on his shocking sex change, RadarOnline.com can reveal that he secretly struggled with his gender identity for years!
Richard Simmons has been living a life of freedom behind the walls of his Hollywood home, ever since deciding to embrace life as a woman. But on the heels of The National ENQUIRER's explosive world exclusive on his shocking sex change, RadarOnline.com can reveal that he secretly struggled with his gender identity for years!
Suspicion that Simmons could be a member of the LGBT community reached a fever pitch in the late 1990s, as he started dressing more and more feminine. But many focused on the possibility that he could be gay, and not that he could be transgender.
2013 MTV Video Music Awards – Arrivals
The Drew Carey show actress Kathy Kinney claimed he was "gay" in an appearance on the Rosie O'Donnell Show in 1997. O'Donnell quickly cut to commercial without addressing the remarks.
2010 World Fitness Day
But despite the buzz, and Simmons' increasingly flamboyant public appearance, a source close to Simmons, 67, said he insisted that he did not identify as gay, despite his connections to the LGBT community.
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"I asked him once about when he first came out, and he just stared at me," the friend told RadarOnline.com.
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"He totally shut down and insisted he wasn't gay. Now, his reaction makes more sense!"
Project Angel Food’s Annual Angel Awards 2013 Honoring Jane Lynch
Nevertheless, Simmons continued to increase his public support of LGBT causes.
Gillian Anderson, Mary-Louise Parker, Simon Pegg, Richard Simmons, Dwayn
In November 2013, he attended Palm Springs Pride, mingling with LGBT fans.
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That same month, he made a public outing to the LA Pride Parade as well.
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That was one of Simmons's last public appearances. Not long later, he would enter hiding and begin his transition to a woman, with a boob job and more as The ENQUIRER reported. His rep has insisted the story is "total crap," but The ENQUIRER provided RadarOnline.com with a bombshell photo of his new boobs.
Were you surprised to learn Simmons is now living as a woman named Fiona? Let us know in the comments!