Richard Simmons ‘Out of Hiding’ and Ready to Take on Broadway 10 Years After Vanishing From Public Eye

He vanished from the public eye without any explanation in 2014. Now, 10 years later, frizzy-haired fitness guru Richard Simmons is poised to make his comeback.

“I just got off the phone with a friend of mine who is an attorney and manages famous artists in music,” the beloved Sweatin’ to the Oldies star, 75, posted on Facebook in mid-May. “She wants to do an interactive Broadway show about my life. I am so excited about the prospect of my own Broadway show. I have so many ideas, and I’m writing them all down. Broadway is in my blood!”

The show would create an open space near the stage where theatergoers could join in on workout dance numbers. It’s unclear what role — if any — Richard will play in the show, “but one thing is clear, this announcement signifies he’s back and out of hiding,” says an insider.

On February 15, 2014, Richard didn’t show up for the exercise class he’d been teaching three times a week at Slimmons, his Beverly Hills studio, since 1974. He hasn’t been photographed in public since. (One wild conspiracy theory claimed he was being held captive by his housekeeper, but Richard’s publicist denied the story.)

“He became a recluse,” says the insider, “but now he’s finally ready for his second act.”