The 80’s legend Richard Simmons is back in the news after he revealed that he’s been diagnosed with skin cancer. His fans became concerned after he posted that he was “dying” in a social media post. On March 20, Richard took to Facebook to detail the moment he found out about the diagnosis and the procedure he underwent for the same. 

He wrote, “Mirror mirror on the wall what’s that blemish which is so small? There was this strange looking bump under my right eye. I had a tube of neosporin which I would put on in the morning and the evening…. it was still there. It was time to call my dermatologist.”

“I sat in his chair and he looked at it through a magnifying mirror. He told me he would have to scrape it and put it under the microscope. Now I am getting a little bit nervous. He comes back about 20 minutes later and says the C word. You have cancer. I asked him what kind of cancer and he said. Basel Cell Carcinoma. I told him to stop calling me dirty names,” he added. 

Richard also revealed that he underwent a procedure where the “cancer doctor” had to “burn” his skin with a small instrument to “remove the cancer cells.” He wrote, “As he started burning my skin a tear dropped down my cheek. You can’t cry during this and he wiped my tears. The burning really hurt my skin. It lasted about 30 minutes.”

Richard Simmons said he was told to return in “an hour and a half” to see if the cancer had been removed successfully. After a while, he returned to the doctor, but the worst wasn’t over as the doctor burned his face again and asked him to come back again. 

The detailed post came a day after he posted a cryptic post where he said he was dying. He added, “Oh I can see your faces now. The truth is we all are dying. Every day we live we are getting closer to our death.”

Richard then asked his fans to enjoy life to the fullest and “count your blessings and enjoy”.

Richard Simmons is an American fitness personality who was famous in the 80s for his flamboyant personality. At the time of his peak stardom, he would advocate weight-loss regimens, most notably with his Sweatin’ to the Oldies series of aerobics DVDs. 

American fitness personality and public figure Richard Simmons was born on May 12, 1948, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is also known by his other name, Milton Teagle Simmons. His parents were in the entertainment industry, and he was brought up in the French Quarter in New Orleans. 

After building a successful career as a fitness and lifestyle coach, Simmons suddenly retreated from public life in 2014.