Richard Simmons made an announcement on social media against a recently-announced biopic of him featuring Pauly Shore. “Hi, Everybody! You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore,” he wrote, after which he clarified that he has “never given my permission for this movie.”
Richard advised fans to “not believe everything you read” and revealed that he no longer has a manager or publicist. “I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful,” he added. “Thank you for all your love and support. Richard.”
Richard Simmons shares his stance on Pauly Shore’s biopic
Shore made the project known recently; however, he never mentioned Richard’s involvement. The filmmakers, The Wolper Organization, responded to Richard in a statement explaining how the production is intended to “honor” him. “While we would love to have him involved, we respect his desire to privacy and plan to produce a movie that celebrates him and tells a dramatic story,” the note read.
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They emphasized that “the effect he has had on the world needs to be recognized,” hence the reason for creating the already shot short film, Court Jester, which will debut in Park City, Utah, at the Sundance Fest. “We know he is deeply private and we would never want to invade that, however he is an amazing person, that changed millions of peoples lives,” The Wolper Organization added.
A meme inspired the movie
Shore decided to make the Richard-inspired biopic after seeing reactions to a viral meme showing his physical resemblance with the fitness guru. “I’ve noticed all the reactions to me playing Richard Simmons in a new biopic,” he posted last September. “I heard he’s living deep in Big Bear. We’ve been playing phone tag (yes, he still has a phone). I’m trying to make it happen for you guys. Be optimistic.”
09/19/2013 1st Annual “Legends Beyond” Gala held in Beverly Hills, CA Photo by Kazuki Hirata / HollywoodNewsWire.net
True to his word, he recently released a statement about the upcoming film and praised Richard’s success while at it. “Simmons represented mental health, getting people in shape, and being his authentic silly self! Whenever he was on TV, you could never take your eyes off of him, and he brought such a joy to his appearances that represented nothing but a good time.”