Where Is Richard Simmons Now 2017? 'Missing' Podcast Explores Whereabouts Of Former Exercise Guru

UPDATE: 3/10/17, 7:30 pm ET: This story was updated to reflect that an LAPD detective checked in on Richard Simmons and said he was "fine."

Where in the world is Richard Simmons? A popular new podcast, called Missing Richard Simmons , seeks to find the truth about the mysterious whereabouts of the former exercise guru.

About three years ago, the celebrity fitness guru vanished from the public eye and left many of his friends, family and fans concerned with his well-being. His friend Dan Taberski is one of those people.

Taberkski, a filmmaker and host of Missing Richard Simmons, was a Slimmons Studio regular before Simmons stopped showing up to class in February 2014 and disappeared from the public.

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Two years later, the iconic fitness studio closed its doors, after being open for 42 years, a statement posted to Simmons’ Facebook page states.

In his podcast, which has reached No.1 on the iTunes podcast charts, Taberski seeks to find out what’s going on with the 68-year-old eccentric, curly-haired icon.

“This isn’t a podcast about a celebrity and the fans who love him,” Taberski told Entertainment Weekly. “This is about Richard Simmons the man and all these people who he made intense personal relationships with.”

Upon Simmons’ 2014 exit from the spotlight, many rumors and conspiracy theories began to circulate. Was he being held hostage in his own home by his live-in housekeeper? Was he transitioning into a woman? Was his health deteriorating?

Mauro Oliveira, his former masseuse, believed he was being held hostage. On the podcast, he describes trying to interact with the workout guru in his own home and not being allowed to.

Simmons’ publicist, Tom Estey, continued to assure the public that Simmons is doing just fine.

“We did not cooperate nor participate in this podcast because we didn’t feel the need to nor did we want to,” Estey told E! News . “All these things distract from his legacy and I will not allow that to happen because this man is a world treasure. . . This man is a saint, so treat him like a saint and leave him alone.”

The swirling questions about Simmons led a Los Angeles Police Department detective to look in at Siimmon's home. Det. Kevin Becker dismissed the idea that the fitness guru was being held hostage, People.com reported on Friday.

“There was something about his housekeeper holding him hostage and not allowing people to see him and preventing him from making phone calls and it was all garbage," Becker told People.

“He is perfectly fine and he is very happy," Becker said. "I don’t know what he is going to do, but right now he is doing what he wants to do and it is his business.”

With the podcast now four episodes in, the latest guest to speak out — in a preview for next week’s episode — is Simmons’ brother Lenny, who also claims he doesn’t understand what is going on with his famous sibling.

The podcast, which will last only six episodes, is released every Wednesday. To follow along with Taberski’s journey, you can listen here: Missing Richard Simmons.

Although it is not confirmed it is Simmons’ himself on social media, his verified Facebook page and Twitter continue to be active with frequent motivational posts. Even while his whereabouts and condition was a mystery, the fitness expert’s legacy was alive and well.