Former fitness guru Richard Simmons has spoken out against a new biopic, saying that he did not give his permission for the movie.
The as-yet-unnamed film stars actor Pauly Shore, who announced the project Wednesday morning, as Simmons.
However, Simmons, 75, who withdrew from public life in recent years, disavowed the film in a statement posted on Facebook.
"Hi Everybody! You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore. I have never given my permission for this movie. So don't believe everything you read," he wrote.
"I no longer have a manager, and I no longer have a publicist. I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful. Thank you for all your love and support. Richard," he added.
In the 1980s, Simmons became a household name in the U.S., talking about health and fitness on talk shows and gaining popularity with his "Sweatin' to the Oldies" aerobics videos.
In 2017, a podcast called "Missing Richard Simmons" tried to uncover why he had disappeared from public life. Simmons later explained he simply wanted privacy. Critics found the podcast questionable in terms of ethics.
The new biopic will be produced by Warner Bros subsidiary the Wolper Organization and is being developed as a "dramatic and heartfelt feature in the tone of "Little Miss Sunshine," according to a statement released to Variety by the production company.
"While we would love to have [Simmons] involved, we respect his desire to privacy and plan to produce a movie that honors him, celebrates him and tells a dramatic story," the statement read.
"We know he is deeply private and we would never want to invade that, however he is an amazing person that changed millions of peoples' lives, and the effect he has had on the world needs to be recognized," it added.
In September, Shore revealed that he had tried to contact Simmons regarding the biopic.
"I've noticed all the reactions to me playing Richard Simmons in a new biopic," he wrote on Facebook in September. "I heard he's living deep in Big Bear. We've been playing phone tag (yes, he still has a phone). I'm trying to make it happen for you guys. Be optimistic."
Announcing the new film this week, Shore said: "Simmons represented mental health, getting people in shape and being his authentic silly self! Whenever he was on TV you could never take your eyes off of him and he brought such a joy to his appearances that represented nothing but a good time."