Richard Simmons Appears on Today to Insist He Isn't Being Held Hostage

Richard Simmons hasn't appeared in public in over two years, leading to speculation that he's being held hostage at home by his own maid. But on Monday, the fitness guru called into Today to insist that his seclusion is self-imposed.

"No one is holding me in my house as a hostage. I do as I want to do, as I've always done. So people should just believe what I have to say, because I'm Richard Simmons," he told Savannah Guthrie.

Simmons insists the New York Post's report alleging that his live-in housekeeper, Teresa Reveles, is holding him captive are "very silly" and that he and Reveles are so close, they're like a "married couple."

"I just sort of wanted to be a little bit of a loner for a while," Simmons said, citing issues with his knees as a contributing factor to his decision "I just really don't want to do anything. I don't want to be traveling anymore. It certainly has taken its toll on me."

But Simmons insisted his seclusion is only temporary. "You haven't seen the last of me," Simmons declared. "I'll come back, and I'll come back strong."

Watch the segment here: