Teresa Reveles Reveals Richard Simmons Disguises in Diane Sawyer Special
diane sawyer is leading a new ABC special on Richard Simmons that adds fresh on-the-record detail from Teresa Reveles, the house manager who worked for him for three decades. Reveles says Simmons would disguise himself whenever he left home during the 10 years he stayed out of public view, and she was the last person to see him alive before his death on July 11, 2024.
Reveles told Sawyer in a new clip, “He'd do all the very different costumes” and “Sometimes he'd be a clown. Sometimes he'd be a woman.” She added, “Nobody knows [it] was him.”
Reveles and Sawyer
Sawyer said on Good Morning America on Monday that Reveles had been very protective of Simmons. That fits the shape of this special: it is built around someone who was inside Simmons’ private world for decades, not around the broader celebrity mythology that usually trails him.
Reveles also said Simmons reached out directly to Sawyer to make his return after 10 years of silence and share his story. He sent her flowers with a note that said, “I trust you.” That note gives the project a clear stake: this was not just an archive exercise, but an interview Simmons appears to have wanted to happen before his death.
July 11, 2024
Simmons died at age 76 on July 11, 2024, as preparations were being made for the interview. His death was ruled accidental, and a spokesperson for the Simmons family said complications from prior falls and heart disease were contributing factors. Those details keep the special from being a nostalgia piece; it is also a late account of the end of a life that had already gone quiet for years.
The special will include interviews with Simmons’ brother Lenny Simmons and sister-in-law Cathy Simmons, alongside family and friends. That wider roster should matter to viewers because the story is not only about disappearance, but about who remained around him while he withdrew.
Tuesday, May 12
The Mystery of Richard Simmons: A Diane Sawyer Special is scheduled to air Tuesday, May 12, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. It will stream the next day on Disney+ and Hulu. For viewers trying to understand why Simmons stayed out of sight for so long, this special is now the clearest place to get the answer from the people who were closest to him.
