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What happened to Richard Simmons?
That’s the question that was on everybody’s minds in 2014 when the fitness guru and television personality suddenly disappeared from the public eye. Attempts by friends and journalists to reach Simmons proved unsuccessful, leading to reports that the famously-single star was being held against his will by his manager and family (something Simmons eventually denied in a phone interview with the Today show). Still, a mysterious hospitalization followed, and Simmons’ Beverly Hills exercise studio closed soon after.
Simmons died in 2024, reportedly from “complications from recent falls and heart diseases,” per the Los Angeles Coroner’s office, but the questions remain over how the Hollywood star spent the final years of his life. How did a man beloved by millions end up seemingly alone?
At a Glance: How to Watch The Mystery of Richard Simmons
Simmons’ life and career is back in the spotlight this week with a new ABC special hosted by Diane Sawyer. Titled, The Mystery of Richard Simmons: A Diane Sawyer Special, the hour-long broadcast airs at 9 p.m. on ABC.
How to Watch The Mystery of Richard Simmons Online Free
If you want to watch the Richard Simmons special on TV, you can tune in through your local ABC affiliate. Don’t have cable? There are a few ways to watch The Mystery of Richard Simmons live online as it airs Tuesday night, including ways to stream it for free.
EDITOR’S CHOICE
DIRECTV
DIRECTV is a live streaming service that offers dozens of live television channels that you can stream online without cable. ABC is included in the streamer’s MyNews Genre Pack, which costs just $39.99/month and is the cheapest way to livestream the network (and 20+ channels) through DIRECTV. Don’t want to commit? You can test drive the package with a risk-free five-day free trial here. Use the free trial to livestream The Mystery of Richard Simmons online for free then choose to continue on with one of DIRECTV’s many packages or cancel at any time.
TOP PICK
Fubo
You can also get a live ABC feed online through Fubo, which offers the network as part of its Sports + News package. Regularly $55.99/month, Fubo is offering a $10 discount for new signups. The package includes 28 channels that you can stream online, with unlimited cloud DVR recording and the ability to watch on up to 10 screens at once. ESPN Unlimited is also included in the package. Fubo also offers a free trial here that you can use to stream the Richard Simmons special on ABC for free.
ALSO CONSIDER
Sling
Livestream ABC online in select markets through Sling and its Sling Select package, which offers 10+ live TV channels and thousands of on-demand titles, with the ability to stream on up to three devices at once. Sign up for Sling here and use the streaming service to watch the Diane Sawyer Richard Simmons special online without needing cable. Sling does not offer a free trial at this time.
LIVE AND ON-DEMAND
Hulu + Live TV
ABC is also available on Hulu + Live TV, as part of the more than 100 live television channels that you can stream through the platform. Hulu + Live TV costs $89.99/month after a three-day free trial. You can use the service to stream The Mystery of Richard Simmons live as it airs on ABC. If you’re fine with waiting, you can stream the special on-demand beginning Wednesday (May 13) on the regular Hulu platform and on Disney+.
What Is the New Richard Simmons Special About?
The new hour-long special is billed as a “joyful and revealing portrait of an American superstar. With his boundless energy and signature warmth, Simmons built one of the most enduring fitness empires in American culture, becoming a popular fixture on television and in the daily lives of millions for over three decades,” reads a show description.
But the special also reveals what happened when Simmons abruptly retreated into seclusion, sparking years of speculation about his whereabouts and well-being. According to ABC, Simmons had been “quietly planning a return,” even reaching out to Sawyer directly, presumably in an attempt to share his story. But as preparations began for his comeback interview, “the story took a bizarre turn with news of Simmons’ sudden and mysterious death.”
The Mystery of Richard Simmons features archival footage as well as interviews with Simmons’ friends and family, including his older brother, who ABC says “extended an invitation to Sawyer and her team to enter Richard’s home and explore the world he had kept hidden for so long.”
As a press release reads, “The special seeks to unravel the truth behind his disappearance and shed light on the circumstances surrounding his death, offering a poignant look at the life, legacy and enduring intrigue of this American icon.”
Watch The Mystery of Richard Simmons: A Diane Sawyer Special Tuesday night at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and livestream it online for free with DIRECTV here. You can also watch a trailer for the special, below:
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