Missed, not missing: Simmons' withdrawal sparks fascination

His publicist, manager, brother and two officers from the Los Angeles Police Department have all said the 68-year-old fitness guru is at his Hollywood Hills mansion and doing fine. Simmons said the same himself when he called into TV's "Entertainment Tonight" last year, explaining he was safe and well and that "it's time right now for Richard Simmons to take care of Richard Simmons."

But he has been missing from the spotlight for three years – and that was enough for Dan Taberski, a former producer of "The Daily Show," to create the "Missing Richard Simmons " podcast. Taberski has spent six episodes investigating his subject's whereabouts, making it most popular podcast in the country and inspiring a national obsession with Simmons' well-being. The final episode was released this week. read more......