Mr. Simmons is suing the companies on four counts of libel and one count of invasion of privacy. Mr. Simmons and his lawyers argue that the reports are false and stem from Mauro Oliveira, a man they accuse in the lawsuit of stalking and seeking to extort and blackmail Mr. Simmons over several years. Advertisement Continue reading the main storyFollowing the podcast’s success, Mr. Simmons signed a licensing deal for which a representative suggested he may be willing to re-enter public life. In response to the lawsuit, the tabloids published a joint statement on Monday accusing Mr. Simmons of hypocrisy. Advertisement Continue reading the main story“For decades, Richard Simmons has used his outrageous behavior to build his brand and his bank account,” the statement said.

Source: New York Times May 09, 2017 03:22 UTC