Richard Simmons is sorry for saying that he's dying when he's actually not

Once again, the reports of Richard Simmons’ death are greatly exaggerated, although this time the confusion came straight from Simmons himself. Since 2014, the fitness guru has lived life out of the spotlight, and that’s led to some wild speculation about where he went and why he left. That speculation has been invasive at times, but fans can be forgiven for their concern this time around since it was Simmons himself who posted on social media that “I am ….dying.”

You can see how that might spark some alarm, right? The full context of the post didn’t exactly clear up the situation. “I have some news to tell you. Please don’t be sad. I am ….dying. Oh I can see your faces now. The truth is we all are dying. Every day we live we are getting closer to our death,” Simmons wrote. “Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to enjoy your life to the fullest every single day. Get up in the morning and look at the sky… count your blessings and enjoy.” The post goes on to encourage healthy eating and exercising habits (of course), while additionally encouraging people to “Tell the ones that you love that you love them. Hug those people and children who you really care for. A big hug really goes a long way.” The somewhat melancholic message ends with the suggestion to listen to Tim McGraw’s “Live Like You Were Dying,” and the sign-off, “Live today and don’t forget to pray.”

This post is opaque enough on its own, but don’t forget that we’re on the Internet, where context goes to die. His message prompted responses from fans like, “May God give you an easy passing & a glorious reunion in heaven.” Simmons was forced to clarify: “Sorry many of you have gotten upset about my message today. Even the press has gotten in touch with me. I am not dying. It was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have. Sorry for this confusion.” Simmons’ spokesperson Tom Estey reiterated as much to CNN, saying, “I can confirm with one hundred percent certainty that Richard is not dying. He’s, in fact, very healthy and happy. The sole purpose of the post was meant to be inspirational.”

It’s good news, ultimately: Richard Simmons isn’t dying, but we’re all dying slowly, so crank up the Tim McGraw! This whole misunderstanding could’ve happened to any celebrity, but it’s particularly notable when it happens to Simmons, given how many rumors have surrounded him over the last ten years. His disappearance from the public eye has been the subject of a podcast and a TMZ documentary, and Pauly Shore keeps trying to make a biopic about him. Meanwhile, Simmons mostly wants to be left alone to live his life and occasionally make reminiscent or motivational social media posts—as is his right!