Richard Simmons Reveals Skin Cancer Diagnosis

Richard Simmons has been diagnosed with skin cancer.

The 75-year-old fitness guru shared the update about his health on his Facebook on Tuesday (March 19), one day after sharing an update that concerned fans.

Richard explained that he recently noticed a “strange looking bump” under his right eye, which his dermatologist diagnosed as basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer.

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“I sat in his chair and he looked at it through a magnifying mirror. He told me he would have to scrape it and put it under the microscope. Now I am getting a little bit nervous. He comes back about 20 minutes later and says the C word. You have cancer. I asked him what kind of cancer and he said. Basel [sic] Cell Carcinoma. I told him to stop calling me dirty names. He laughed,” he wrote.

He then shared that he visited Dr. Ralph Massey, who specializes in skin cancer surgery.

“He explained that he has to burn my skin to remove the cancer cells. There was no numbing it just had to be done with a small instrument. As he started burning my skin a tear dropped down my cheek. You can’t cry during this and he wiped my tear. The burning really hurt my skin. It lasted about 30 minutes.”

He was told to return to the office in an hour and a half to make sure the cancer was gone.

“After driving around the city, I went back to some sad news. I didn’t get it all out. He burned my face again. This time was worse than before…It was deeper. I did not cry this time but I did grit my teeth,” he wrote, adding “To be continued,” so it is unclear whether he is still receiving treatments.

The health update comes after an update he shared a day before, concerning fans by writing he was “dying” and telling his supporters not to “be sad.”

He clarified hours later that he was “not dying,” adding, “It was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have. Sorry for this confusion.” Find out more about the message.