Richard Simmons suffered a secret 'heartbreak' before his death at age 76 that left him feeling like a 'failure' - amid fears upcoming biopic would leave him 'humiliated'

Richard Simmons died believing he was a 'failure' and spent months fearing he would beryllium near 'humiliated' by nan upcoming biopic astir his life, insiders claim. 

The hyperactive fittingness guru, who built a mini-empire successful his trademark vessel tops and short shorts by urging nan overweight to workout and overhaul their diets, died of earthy causes astatine his confederate California home connected Saturday. He was 76.

Despite his success, Simmons ne'er felt that he had 'made it' and was near heartbroken astatine not receiving a prima connected nan Hollywood Walk of Fame for his decades-long career.

'Richard died reasoning that he had spent his full life focused connected his profession and that he ne'er genuinely made it,' an insider told DailyMail.com.

'He didn't deliberation of himself arsenic nan legendary icon everyone other knew him arsenic successful his heyday. He saw himself arsenic a nonaccomplishment and for his full life he ne'er sewage nan 1 point he wanted - a prima connected nan Hollywood Walk of Fame. This collapsed his heart.'

Simmons was a erstwhile 268-pound teen who became a maestro of galore media forms, sharing his hard-won weight-loss tips arsenic big of nan Emmy-winning daytime Richard Simmons Show and writer of best-selling books and nan fare scheme Deal-A-Meal.

His daytime show was seen connected 200 stations successful America, arsenic good arsenic successful Australia, New Zealand, nan Philippines, Japan and South America. His first book, Never Say Diet, was a best-seller.

He was known to counsel nan severely obese, including Rosalie Bradford, who held records for being nan world's heaviest woman, and Michael Hebranko, who credited Simmons pinch helping him suffer 700 pounds.

After winning a legion of fans pinch his infectious enthusiasm and positivity, Simmons stepped distant from nan limelight successful 2014.

In 2017, he was ordered to salary nan National Enquirer's ineligible measure pursuing his grounded bid to writer nan mag for defamation aft it published a beforehand page communicative successful 2016 saying he was transitioning into a woman.

At nan time, nan tribunal ruled that identifying an individual arsenic transgender whitethorn not needfully expose them to 'hatred, contempt aliases ridicule' and would not beryllium considered defamatory successful nature.'

'While, arsenic a applicable matter, nan characteristic whitethorn beryllium held successful contempt by a information of nan population, nan tribunal will not validate those prejudices by legally recognizing them,' nan judge added.

Simmons antecedently confirmed that he was not transgender and moreover created a pointed database of reasons why successful an ongoing explosive suit pinch nan publishing company.

Simmons' humiliation over nan suit prompted his initial reluctance to springiness his blessing to nan upcoming biopic astir his life, starring Pauly Shore, arsenic he feared opening himself up to further wounded and nationalist ridicule. 

'He felt humiliation for immoderate of nan things that happened successful caller years and feels for illustration he fto his existent fans down,' nan insider said. 'This is why he conscionable wanted to beryllium near alone.

'He was ever searching for an personality and tried difficult to please everyone. The sad portion astir his decease was that aft years of soul torture, he had yet travel to a spot wherever he was opening to move connected and judge himself.'

'Richard didn't o.k. initially because he didn't for illustration seeing himself successful nan mirror,' nan insider said.

'He ne'er watched immoderate of his aged videos aliases immoderate of his appearances because he was highly captious of himself. He felt backed into a corner.

'He cared profoundly for his fans but was conscionable truthful worried astir being nan brunt of nan joke. He was trying to guidelines his crushed connected this 1 successful fearfulness that he would beryllium further humiliated, but Pauly assured him that this will not happen.

'Pauly wanted to impact him successful nan process, and he told Richard he did not want to wounded him. In nan extremity he was humbled by nan truth that a movie was being made astir him.

'But he was not fresh to look astatine his life because he had truthful overmuch symptom and regret. He died not knowing what an icon he was.'

Shore antecedently portrayed Simmons successful short film, The Court Jester, which was written and directed by Jake Lewis. 

The 10-minute task received a opinionated ovation erstwhile it premiered successful Park City, Utah backmost successful January.

At nan time, Simmons disavowed nan biopic, telling fans he had not fixed his permission.

'You whitethorn person heard they whitethorn beryllium doing a movie astir maine pinch Pauly Shore,' he wrote connected Facebook.

'I person ne'er fixed my support for this movie. I nary longer person a manager, and I nary longer person a publicist. I conscionable effort to unrecorded a quiet life and beryllium peaceful. Thank you for each your emotion and support.'

It came a time aft he refused to participate successful interviews, writing: 'I wanted you each to cognize that I americium good and I americium happy. I person had a batch of group inquire maine for interviews.

'But correct now I don't want to do them. It is simply a grey and rainy time present successful Los Angeles, but my bosom is filled pinch your kindness towards me.'

Simmons' publicist confirmed his decease successful a connection to The Associated Press connected Saturday. He gave nary further details.

Los Angeles constabulary and occurrence departments responded to a location - whose reside nan AP matched pinch Simmons' done nationalist records - wherever a man was declared dormant from earthy causes.

Simmons had revealed a tegument crab test successful March 2024, a time aft panicking fans pinch 'some news' that he was dying.