Richard Simmons shares skin cancer diagnosis following mysterious online message on One America News Network
OAN’s James Meyers
2:30 PM -Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Fitness guru Richard Simmons, known for his eccentric, flamboyant, and energetic personality, shared in a statement that he has been diagnosed with skin cancer.
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“Mirror mirror on the wall what’s that blemish which is so small,” Simmons, 75, said in a Facebook post. “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,” he continued. “Now I am getting a little bit nervous. He comes back about 20 minutes later and says the C-word [referring to cancer].”
Despite the diagnosis, Simmons tried to inject humor into the situation by joking with his doctor about being called dirty names upon learning he had basal cell carcinoma.
“You have to go to a cancer doctor right away,” Simmons wrote. “But now that you are here I suggest you put some Botox in your forehead lines and your smile lines and let’s pump up those cheeks of yours…..I patted him on his hand and said, ‘Not today doctor.’ ”
“He explained that he has to burn my skin to remove the cancer cells,” said the Sweatin’ to the Oldies fitness guru. “There was no numbing… it just had to be done with a small instrument. 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.”
After a second procedure, Simmons confirmed that the dermatologist had successfully removed all the cancer cells.
“Promise me you will see your doctor and get a complete check-up,” he continued.
Simmons’ announcement came after fans were worried about his earlier post regarding dying.
“I have some news to tell you. Please don’t be sad. I am …. dying,” he wrote in a post on Monday this week. “Oh I can see your faces now. The truth is we all are dying. Everyday 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,” he continued. “Get up in the morning and look at the sky… count your blessings and enjoy.”
He reassured his fans that he was not actually dying and apologized for any confusion caused by his post.
“It was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have,” he added. “Sorry for the confusion.”
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