THERE are many stars who are quickly thrust into the limelight – and a few who are just as quick to step out of it.
One of them is weight loss guru Richard Simmons, who voluntarily retired from public life in 2014 and has not been seen for years.
7
Richard Simmons was one of the most famous fitness gurus in the US Credit: Getty
7
In 2014, Richard withdrew from the public eye and became a recluse Credit: Fox
However, Richard revealed that he was sadly diagnosed with skin cancer this week and underwent a procedure that “burned” his skin to get rid of a “strange lump” under his right eye.
His revelation comes a day after he shocked fans by claiming he was dying, before telling his fans to enjoy their lives because “we all die”.
The retired weight loss instructor was a frequent face on television and is known for his eccentric and flamboyant personality.
After moving to Los Angeles in the 1970s, Richard became interested in healthy living and lost more than 7st, making regular appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman and The Howard Stern.
However, he completely excluded himself from media appearances in 2014.
By 2016, speculation and concern about his health began to appear online.
He was last photographed in April 2017, arriving at his home in Los Angeles, hiding under a blanket.
And earlier this year, he released a rare statement insisting he had not given his permission for the upcoming Warner Bros. biopic, The Court Jester, in which Pauly Shore is set to play him.
He said: “I don’t have a manager anymore, I don’t have a publicist anymore. I’m just trying to live a quiet life and be calm.”
And he is not the only American TV star who has turned his back on fame for a quiet life.
Baywatch girl Yasmine Bleeth looks unrecognizable from her iconic red swimsuit days
Yasmine Bleeth
7
Yasmine Bleeth was one of Hollywood’s hottest stars when she was on Baywatch
Yasmine Bleeth, 55, was one of Hollywood’s hottest stars in the Nineties after turning a guest appearance on Baywatch – alongside Pamela Anderson – into three seasons.
Her stardom on the show helped launch her modeling career and even led the actress to launch her own swimwear line.
She also dated the late Matthew Perry and Don Johnson at the height of their fame.
But the former star has rarely been seen in public since she quit acting two decades ago after struggling with addiction.
She was blacklisted by studios and directors when she relapsed after leaving rehab and ended up arrested in 2001 when police found cocaine in her car after an accident.
While in rehab, she met strip club owner Paul Cerrito and the couple married in August 2002 – and have been together ever since.
In 2020, she took a picture for the first time in several years. And the last time she was seen was in May of last year, walking in the sun, wearing a wide sweater and close-fitting navy joggers combined with Adidas sneakers.
Angus T Jones
7
Angus T Jones was only 10 years old when he started filming Two and a Half Men
Angus T Jones was just 10 years old when he started playing Jake Harper in the sitcom Two and a Half Men opposite Charlie Sheen.
And at one point in his life, he was the highest-paid child actor in the world, earning a whopping $300,000 per episode of the series, which ran from 2003 to 2015.
In 2012, while still starring in the show, Angus revealed he had found God and branded Two and a Half Men “filth”, urging fans to “stop watching it”.
In an interview with a Seventh-day Adventist-sponsored radio show, he said, “People will see us and say, ‘I can be a Christian and be on a show like Two and a Half Men.’
“You can not. You cannot be a truly God-fearing person and be like that on a television show. I know I can’t.”
He later apologized, saying, “I apologize if my remarks reflect that I am showing indifference and disrespect to my colleagues and a lack of appreciation for the extraordinary opportunity I have been blessed with. I never intended that.”
But now 30, he lives a reclusive life away from the limelight and looked unrecognizable when he was spotted last year, having grown a beard and gone bald.
David Caruso
7
David Caruso looks very different from his CSI: Miami days
David Caruso, 68, is best known for playing Lt. Horatio Caine on CSI: Miami until the series ended in 2012.
After it broke up, David decided to give up acting and instead opened an art gallery and clothing store called Steam on Sunset in Florida.
He also became much more private, he was only seen in 2016 and at the end of last year, when he looked completely different.
David has let down his signature red hair and traded in smart tracksuits for tracksuits as well as sunglasses.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
7
Jonathan Taylor Thomas has been acting since he was eight years old
Another former child star who has stepped away from the spotlight is Jonathan Taylor Thomas (42).
He is best known for starring in Home Improvement as Randy from 1991 to 1998, alongside Tim Allen.
But he was actually also the voice of young Simba in Disney’s The Lion King.
Jonathan stopped acting in 2015, however, and hasn’t made many public appearances since, apart from stepping out of his California apartment last year wearing a woolen sweater and hat.
In 2013, speaking about why he left Home Improvement in 1998, he told People: “I’ve been going non-stop since I was eight. I wanted to go to school, travel and have some rest.”
Then in 2016 he added to Premiere magazine: “You can’t be trapped in this bubble called the acting industry.
“The industry is neurotic and weird, so when I go home and play basketball with my friends, I’m not Jonathan Taylor Thomas. I’m just Jonathan. I don’t like hanging out with other actors and actresses.”
Robert Iler
7
Robert Iler played AJ Soprano on The Sopranos until it ended in 2007
Robert Iler played Anthony John ‘AJ’ Soprano Jr. in The Sopranos, and has been out of the spotlight since it ended in 2007.
However, the 39-year-old gave a rare interview in 2020, revealing that he used to work as a semi-professional poker player, but stopped doing so due to drug and alcohol addiction.
Speaking on the Talking Sopranos podcast, he said: “I was drinking a lot at the time, so I would make money playing poker and then lose it betting on sports or roulette.
“I haven’t been drunk for more than seven years, and hard drugs are also seven years. But I was taking Xanax every day and it took me a long time to get off Xanax, and I had to go to a specialist, so it’s been five years.”
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education