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What happened to Richard Simmons?
That’s the question on everyone’s mind in 2014 when the fitness expert and TV personality suddenly disappeared from the public eye. Attempts by friends and journalists to reach Simmons were unsuccessful, leading to reports that the popular solo star was being held against his will by his manager and family (something Simmons ultimately denied in a phone interview with today displays). However, a mysterious hospitalization followed, and Simmons’ Beverly Hills workout studio closed soon after.
Simmons died in 2024, due to “complications from a recent fall and heart disease,” according to the Los Angeles coroner’s office, but questions remain about how the Hollywood star spent the final years of his life. How did the man loved by millions end up alone?
Quick overview: How to watch Richard Simmons puzzle
- when: Tuesday, May 12, at 9pm ET/PT
- TV channel: ABC
- Stream online: DirecTV, Fubo, Sling, Hulu + Live TV
Simmons’ life and career are back in the spotlight this week with a new ABC special hosted by Diane Sawyer. Titled, The Secret of Richard Simmons: A Diane Sawyer Specialthe hour-long program airs at 9 pm on ABC.
How to watch Richard Simmons puzzle Online for free
If you want to watch the Richard Simmons special on television, you can listen to it through your local ABC affiliate. Don’t have cable? There are several ways to watch Richard Simmons puzzle Live stream online as it airs on Tuesday night, including ways to stream it for free.

Editor’s Choice
Direct
DIRECTV is a streaming service that offers dozens of live TV channels that you can stream online without cable. ABC is included in the streamer’s MyNews Genre Pack, which costs just $39.99 per month and is the cheapest way to stream the network (and 20+ channels) through DIRECTV. Don’t want to commit? You can test the package with a free, risk-free five-day trial here. Use the free trial to stream live Richard Simmons puzzle online for free, then choose to continue with one of our many DIRECTV packages or cancel at any time.

Best choice
Fubo
You can also get a live stream of ABC online through Fubo, which offers the network as part of its Sports + News package. Regularly $55.99 per month, Fubo offers a $10 discount for new subscriptions. The package includes 28 channels that you can stream online, with unlimited cloud DVR recording and the ability to watch on up to 10 screens simultaneously. ESPN Unlimited is also included in the package. Fubo also offers a free trial here that you can use to stream the Richard Simmons special on ABC for free.

Also keep in mind
sling
Stream ABC online in select markets with Sling and its Sling Select package, which offers 10+ live TV channels and thousands of on-demand titles, with the ability to stream on up to three devices simultaneously. Sign up for Sling here and use the streaming service to watch the Diane Sawyer Richard Simmons special online without cable. Sling does not offer a free trial at this time.

Live and on demand
Hulu + Live TV
ABC is also available on Hulu + Live TV, as part of the more than 100 live TV channels you can stream on the platform. Hulu + Live TV costs $89.99 per month after a three-day free trial. You can use the service for streaming Richard Simmons puzzle Live as broadcast on ABC. If you don’t have a problem waiting, you can stream the special on-demand starting Wednesday (May 13) on regular Hulu and on Disney+.
What’s special about the new Richard Simons?
The new hour-long special is described as “an exhilarating, revealing portrait of an American superstar. With his boundless energy and signature warmth, Simmons has built one of the most enduring fitness empires in American culture, becoming a fixture on television and in the daily lives of millions for more than three decades,” the show’s description says.
But the special also reveals what happened when Simmons suddenly retreated into isolation, sparking years of speculation about his whereabouts and well-being. According to ABC, Simmons has been “quietly planning a comeback,” and even reached out to Sawyer directly, in an attempt to share his story. But as preparations for his comeback interview began, “the story took a strange turn with the news of Simmons’ sudden and mysterious death.”
the The Secret of Richard Simmons It features archival footage as well as interviews with Simmons’ friends and family, including his older brother, who ABC says “extended an invitation to Sawyer and her team to enter Richard’s home and explore the world he has hidden for so long.”
As stated in a press release, “The special seeks to uncover the truth behind his disappearance and shed light on the circumstances surrounding his death, offering a poignant look at the life, legacy, and enduring machinations of this American icon.”
He watches The Secret of Richard Simmons: A Diane Sawyer Special Tuesday nights at 9pm ET/PT on ABC and stream live online for free with DIRECTV here. You can also watch a trailer for the special episode below:

