Richard Simmons’ Lawsuit Thrown Out
Richard Simmons (Facebook)
It turns out Richard Simmons can’t sue The National Enquirer for calling him trans-gendered. The fitness icon filed a defamation suit back in May against the tabloid for saying that he was in the process of becoming a woman – a claim that he denied.
Variety reports Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gregory Keosian threw the case out, ruling that being misidentified as transgender doesn’t rise to the level of defamation because it doesn’t inherently expose someone to hatred, contempt, or ridicule. In a statement, he said, “While, as a practical matter, the characteristic may be held in contempt by a portion of the population, the court will not validate those prejudices by legally recognizing them.”
This ruling appears to be the first to address the question of whether being called transgender is harmful to someone’s reputation.
A few months ago we were able to obtain the first photos of Richard in 3 years, and since then his “Missing Richard Simmons” podcast appears to still be online as well.
Perhaps, if you have his home address you could send him some cute pillows like John Chartier did 20 years ago.