Richard Simmons Makes Rare Statement Speaking Out Against Upcoming Biopic Starring Pauly Shore
Richard Simmons would rather his life not be a movie.
Following news that Pauly Shore will star in an upcoming biopic about his life, the fitness guru expressed his disappointment over the project.
"Hi Everybody!" Simmons wrote on his verified Facebook account Jan. 17. "You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore. I have never given my permission for this movie. So don't believe everything you read."
In fact, the 75-year-old stressed his desire to stay out of the spotlight.
"I no longer have a manager and I no longer have a publicist," Simmons' post—his first in over a year–continues. "I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful. Thank you for all your love and support."
The biopic—which is in development at Warner Bros. subsidiary The Wolper Organization—was confirmed earlier that same day but never confirmed Simmons' involvement or support.
Meanwhile, Shore—who first stirred buzz for the project because of his resemblance to the health influencer—shared minor details of the upcoming project while promoting an unrelated short film, The Court Jester, in which he'll also coincidentally play Simmons.
"We're in the process right now of meeting with writers and they're pitching me and the producer their vision for the script—the biopic for me playing Richard Simmons," he said in a Jan. 17 Instagram video. "If I get the opportunity to star in a Richard Simmons biopic, I will deliver."
The comedian also spoke directly to the reclusive workout star in the post.
"Richard if you're watching—nothing but love, brother," he added. "Let's see if we can do this—if we can merge our forces and we can bring a beautiful piece for the people to see and we can spread your word."
And following Simmons' statement against the film, The Wolper Organization—who had compared the vibe of the upcoming biopic to the Abigail Breslin-led Little Miss Sunshine—promised to handle his story with care.
"While we would love to have him involved, we respect his desire to privacy and plan to produce a movie that honors him, celebrates him and tells a dramatic story," the organization said in a statement to NBC News. "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 and the effect he has had on the world needs to be recognized."
E! News reached out to reps for Pauly Shore for comment, but did not receive a response.
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