Richard Simmons is not transgender, just a recluse

Richard Simmons may be reclusive but that doesn’t mean he’s transgender, his spokesman says.

Tom Estey spoke up on behalf of his celebrity client after the tabloid The National Enquirer featured Simmons on its cover proclaiming: ‘He’s Now A Woman’ who wants to be called Fiona and wants to be ‘the next Caitlyn Jenner.

‘It’s not true,’ Estey tells People.com.

‘He is not transitioning into a woman. He has decided to live quietly the last few years. He had knee surgery a few years ago and has a bum knee. He is still on Twitter and Facebook and works behind the scenes continuing to inspire and motivate people to lose weight. When he decides to come back, he will come back.’

Simmons was in the hospital over the weekend for what Estey says was dehydration and was out the next day.

‘He’s a human being. He was in the public eye for over three decades, but he deserves his privacy,’ the spokesman says.

‘He should be able to have a private life. He just needed a break. He is still taking care of the people who need his help.

‘ His low profile has been out of character for the 67-year-old Simmons who for so long had been a regular presence on television.

This has had fans and friends worried.

‘We are all so worried about him,’ his friend June Park tells People. ‘People stop by his house, but nobody gets to see him. Nobody knows anything about what’s going on.’

Simmons has posted this message on Facebook: ‘Thank you to everyone who has reached out with love and concern after hearing I was in the hospital. I was dehydrated and needed some fluids and now I am feeling great! Summer is here – drink plenty of liquids. Big hugs and kisses for caring.‘