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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'


The 76-year-old fitness guru tragically died believing he was a 'failure' for not reaching the level of success he set out for himself, an insider has claimed.

He was known to counsel the severely obese, including Rosalie Bradford, who held records for being the world's heaviest woman, and Michael Hebranko, who credited Simmons with helping him lose 700 pounds. In 2017, he was ordered to pay the National Enquirer's legal bill following his failed bid to sue the magazine for defamation after it published a front page story in 2016 saying he was transitioning into a woman. Simmons' humiliation over the lawsuit prompted his initial reluctance to give his blessing to the upcoming biopic about his life, starring Pauly Shore, as he feared opening himself up to further hurt and public ridicule.

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