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Richard Simmons turned 76 on Friday and revealed his fun plans to celebrate the milestone in a very rare interview.
Simmons, who stepped away from the spotlight back in 2014, said he will blow out a candle for his special day – but it will have a quirky twist in line with his lifestyle.
He told People: ‘But the candle will probably be on a zucchini. You know, I’m a vegetarian.’
Reflecting on turning 76, he added: ‘I feel good! I am grateful that I’m here, that I am alive for another day. I’ll spend my birthday doing what I do every day, which is to help people.’
It comes after Richard revealed he was diagnosed with skin cancer in an emotional Facebook post after discovering a ‘strange looking bump’ under his right eye.
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The announcement in March came just days after the reclusive star sparked fears he was dying with a worrying social media post, writing: ‘The truth is we all are dying.’
After calling a dermatologist, the fitness trailblazer recalled feeling ‘a little bit nervous’ after the doctor looked at his mysterious bump ‘through a magnifying mirror.’
‘He told me he would have to scrape it and put it under the microscope,’ the New Orleans native told his fans. ‘He comes back about 20 minutes later and says the C word.’
He continued: ‘I asked him what kind of cancer and he said. Basel Cell Carcinoma. I told him to stop calling me dirty names. He laughed.’
Simmons was then told he had to go to ‘a cancer doctor right away.’
To treat the cancer, he said his doctor explained that he needed ‘to burn’ his ‘skin to remove the cancer cells.’
‘There was no numbing it just had to be done with a small instrument,’ the actor detailed. ‘As he started burning my skin a tear dropped down my cheek. You can’t cry during this and he wiped my tear. The burning really hurt my skin. It lasted about 30 minutes.’
Following the procedure, he was told to return in an hour and a half to see if they ‘got it all out.’
‘After driving around the city, I went back to some sad news,’ he noted. ‘I didn’t get it all out. He burned my face again. This time was worse than before…It was deeper. I did not cry this time but I did grit my teeth.’
Simmons went on to reveal in a second post that the ‘third time was a charm’ and they removed ‘all the cancer cells out.’
‘Before I left, he checked my arms, my back, my chest and my legs. I had a little Frankenstein under my right eye for a while,’ he continued. ‘He gave me some cream to put on it which I did religiously. Because of his fine work I don’t have a scar.’
Despite the pain, he insisted his ‘cancer was nothing compared to some people’ that he knows, including his friend’s granddaughter, who had a double mastectomy.
He concluded: ‘I know some of you reading this have had cancer or have known someone in your life who has had cancer. Promise me you will see your doctor and get a complete check up.’
In a follow-up post, he clarified the health scare happened ‘so many years ago.’
Earlier that week, his representative assured fans that the star was ‘healthy and not dying’ after the star sparked concern with a cryptic post about mortality.
In a separate Facebook post, Simmons reflected on his existence as he said ‘I am dying… we are all dying’ before giving his fans some fitness tips.
He wrote: ‘I have some news to tell you. Please don’t be sad. I am ….dying. 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.
‘Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to enjoy your life to the fullest every single day. Get up in the morning and look at the sky… count your blessings and enjoy.
‘Start with a healthy breakfast. Do you like oatmeal…. Whole wheat toast ..eggs once or twice a week Fresh fruit or half of an English muffin?
‘Then there is lunch. How about a nice salad? Don’t eat your dinner too late. Combine your protein with a starch and a few vegetables. And sure, once in a while, have dessert. One healthy day of eating will lead to the next…and the next.
‘Every day that you are alive you have got to move. Whether it is standing or sitting you have got move your body every day. Start with stretching then cardio and strength.
‘I have a lot of workout videos on YouTube that you can use. Or maybe you have some videos at home. And before you go to bed do a little stretching. Stretch your neck. Your shoulders….and your arms…and dont forget your legs. Do some circles with your ankles. Point and flex your feet and I promise that you will have a better night’s sleep.
‘There is something else very important that you must do. Tell the ones that you love that you love them. Hug those people and children who you really care for. A big hug really goes a long way.
‘If you have time I want you to listen to a terrific song. It is by Tim McGraw it is called Live Like You Were Dying. Live today and don’t forget to pray.
‘Love, Richard.’
Simmon’s spokesman Tom Estey told DailyMail.com at the time: ‘I can confirm with 100 percent certainty that Richard is not dying.
‘He’s, in fact, very healthy and happy. The sole purpose of the post was meant to be inspirational.’
Simmons also took to X to make a rare statement writing: ‘Sorry many of you have gotten upset about my message today… I am not dying.
‘It was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have. Sorry for this confusion. Love, Richard.’
The media figure, who was known for his formerly outgoing personality, abruptly stopped making public appearances in 2014, and many of his fans voiced their concerns about his well-being over the following years.
However Estey provided a statement provided a statement to the New York Post in 2022 and expressed that he was ‘happy, healthy and living the life he has chosen to live.’