Simmons began his weight-loss career by opening his gym Slimmons in Beverly Hills, California, catering to the overweight in a supportive atmosphere, and he became widely known through exposure on television and through the popularity of his consumer products.

[11][12] As a young art student, he appeared among the "freak show" characters in the Fellini films Satyricon (1968) and The Clowns (1970) and he eventually reached a peak of 268 lb (122 kg).

[13][10][14] In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times, Simmons explained he adopted the name Richard after an uncle who paid for his college tuition.

The business originally included a salad bar restaurant called Ruffage, a pun on the word roughage (dietary fiber); though it was eventually removed as the focus of The Anatomy Asylum shifted solely to exercise.

[17] Later renamed Slimmons, the establishment continued operations in Beverly Hills and Simmons taught motivational classes and aerobics throughout the week.

[18] His success led to a recurring role in General Hospital portraying himself over a four-year period and then to his own television series The Richard Simmons Show, which aired from 1980 to 1984 and earned him multiple Emmy awards.

Simmons began to receive media attention due to the success of his health club that started with him on Real People (where he was shown at work).

He later had guest roles on Battlestars, Super Password, Win, Lose or Draw,[23] Body Language,[24] Match Game (ABC), Hollywood Squares (syndicated),[25] and Nickelodeon's Figure It Out.

[34] He featured as himself on numerous television series, including Whose Line Is It Anyway?, CHiPs, Saturday Night Live, The Larry Sanders Show, and in the Arrested Development episode "Bringing Up Buster".

[44] During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Simmons' YouTube channel was updated with archival exercise videos (recorded before his decision to withdraw from public life) to help people stay fit at home.

A spokesperson said the move was motivated by an "overwhelming request for Richard to return in some way as a comfort" and added that Simmons was "very touched by the outreach".

[45] In January 2024, an as-yet untitled biopic about Simmons, starring Pauly Shore, was announced, titled The Court Jester.

As late as 2008, he personally answered emails and letters and made hundreds of phone calls each week to those who would seek his help.

And I am that court jester.In March 2004, Simmons was cited for Misdemeanor assault after he slapped Christopher Farney in the face at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

[64][65] In response, on March 14, Simmons gave an audio interview on The Today Show, denying the rumors and assuring the public that he is fine.

[69] On April 19, following a hospitalization for severe indigestion, Simmons made his first public comment in over a year, posting on Facebook a photo of himself and the message "I'm not 'missing', just a little under the weather".

[71][72][73] In May 2017, he sued the National Enquirer, Radar Online, and American Media, Inc. for libel and false claims that he was undergoing gender reassignment.

[76] In July 2018, Simmons amended the suit, alleging the investigator had been hired by In Touch Weekly and prosecutors filed a criminal complaint.

[77] In May 2020, a California appellate court upheld a trial judge's decision allowing Simmons' lawsuit to move forward.

Even after he retreated from the public spotlight, he still frequently traveled outside of his house locally in disguises and continued to motivate fans by calling and emailing them as much as he could.

"[82] He was also calling and motivating people again and writing a Broadway musical about his life in collaboration with composer Patrick Leonard, as well as planning for a longer comeback interview with Diane Sawyer.

[80] In March 2024, Simmons issued a statement clarifying that he was not dying after a Facebook post he wrote encouraging people to "embrace every day" drew public concern.

Simmons later stated on his Twitter account that the cancer diagnosis occurred "so many years ago" and he decided to speak out about it to encourage people to go to the doctor if they see anything unusual on their body.

[87][88] Police said that his death appeared to be from natural causes, though the investigation is ongoing;[89][90] Reveles suspected that Simmons had suffered a heart attack in his sleep.

[92] On July 20, one week after his death, Simmons' team shared what would be his final social media post, a paraphrase of lyrics from the song "Fly Me to the Moon".