Entertainment
Pauly Shore Responds to Richard Simmons’ Criticism About Biopic on January 19, 2024 at 11:49 pm Us Weekly
Pauly Shore is ready for a comeback with his upcoming role as fitness guru Richard Simmons.
Shore, 55, will play the outgoing fitness icon Simmons, 75, in an upcoming biopic. “I’m really excited about sharing Richard Simmons’s life with the world,” said Shore in a statement to Variety in January 2024. “We all need this biopic now more than ever. 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.”
Later that day, Simmons took to Facebook to note that the film is unauthorized. “You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore. I have never given my permission for this movie,” he wrote. “So don’t believe everything you read.”
Simmons was well-known as a fitness celebrity with his own studio in Beverly Hills. He started to gain media attention in the 1970s and ‘80s with his workout videos and subsequent talk show appearances on shows like Late Night With David Letterman and The Howard Stern Show. Simmons’ fun-loving, joyful personality made him a household name alongside his fitness series, Sweatin with the Oldies, which led to television and movie roles as well as advertising opportunities. In 2014, he disappeared from public life which caused concern among his fans. In a 2016 phone interview with Today, Simmons just said he preferred privacy.
This isn’t the only Simmons-centered project that Shore has lined up. He’s starring in a short film, The Court Jester, that premieres on January 19 at the Sundance Film Festival, which wasn’t affiliated with the biopic. In it, Shore portrays Simmons during the 2000s during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show when he oversees an overweight production assistant getting yelled at by other staff. The short film, directed by Jake Lewis, will be available on YouTube after its Sundance premiere.
Scroll for everything to know about Shore’s Richard Simmons biopic:
What Will the Richard Simmons Biopic Be About?
While as of yet there’s been no official plot announced, producer and director Mark Wolper, head of The Wolper Organization, which will be handling the film, gave a few ideas in his statement about working with Shore.
Bobby Bank/WireImage
“There is an amazing, dramatic and uplifting story to tell about Richard Simmons. My company has been making historical dramas and biopics for over 50 years now … we know what works,” Wolper told Variety. “We have been dancing around the idea for years, but it never coalesced until several months ago when I saw the press about Pauly Shore being touted by social media as the ONLY person that could play Richard. I saw the picture of them and realized these two are very similar, they both lived or died by how the world perceived them, they both fought to give their fans what they wanted and they both deserve an amazing comeback story! My company has locked Pauly down to play Richard Simmons and we are in serious discussions with a major writer to develop this as a dramatic and heartfelt feature in the tone of Little Miss Sunshine.”
Is Richard Simmons Involved With the Film?
No, Simmons shared via his verified Facebook profile in January 2024 that he did not approve of the film.
“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,” he wrote. “So don’t believe everything you read. 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.”
Who Else Is In the Cast?
So far, only Shore has been cast as Simmons and additional casting is underway.
Who Will Direct the Richard Simmons Biopic?
A director has not yet been announced.
When Will the Richard Simmons Biopic Be Released?
A release date has not yet been announced for the biopic.
Pauly Shore Monica Schipper/Getty Images for IMDb
What Has Pauly Shore Said About Richard Simmons’ Criticism?
Shortly after Simmons’ comments made headlines, Shore responded to criticism by saying he didn’t think the former fitness coach was coming from a “vindictive place.”
“I hope that once he sees the short and he sees what we’re wanting to do with it that he’ll change his tune,” he told photographers in January 2024, per Entertainment Tonight. “I love him. I love what he represents, which is why we want to do it. He’s such a great character and it’d be a good opportunity for me to get back out there as well. People miss me and they miss him.”
Shore also shared he wanted to portray Simmons after “everyone” told him the pair have a resemblance.
Pauly Shore is ready for a comeback with his upcoming role as fitness guru Richard Simmons. Shore, 55, will play the outgoing fitness icon Simmons, 75, in an upcoming biopic. “I’m really excited about sharing Richard Simmons’s life with the world,” said Shore in a statement to Variety in January 2024. “We all need this
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Entertainment
What We Can Learn Inside 50 Cent’s Explosive Diddy Documentary: 5 Reasons You Should Watch

50 Cent’s new Netflix docuseries about Sean “Diddy” Combs is more than a headline-grabbing exposé; it is a meticulous breakdown of how power, celebrity, and silence can collide in the entertainment industry.
Across its episodes, the series traces Diddy’s rise, the allegations that followed him for years, and the shocking footage and testimonies now forcing a wider cultural reckoning.

1. It Chronicles Diddy’s Rise and Fall – And How Power Warps Reality
The docuseries follows Combs from hitmaker and business icon to a figure facing serious criminal conviction and public disgrace, mapping out decades of influence, branding, and behind-the-scenes behavior. Watching that arc shows how money, fame, and industry relationships can shield someone from scrutiny and delay accountability, even as disturbing accusations accumulate.

2. Never-Before-Seen Footage Shows How Narratives Are Managed
Exclusive footage of Diddy in private settings and in the tense days around his legal troubles reveals how carefully celebrity narratives are shaped, even in crisis.
Viewers can learn to question polished statements and recognize that what looks spontaneous in public is often the result of strategy, damage control, and legal calculation.
3. Survivors’ Stories Highlight Patterns of Abuse and Silence
Interviews with alleged victims, former staff, and industry insiders describe patterns of control, fear, and emotional or physical harm that were long whispered about but rarely aired in this detail. Their stories underline how difficult it is to speak out against a powerful figure, teaching viewers why many survivors delay disclosure and why consistent patterns across multiple accounts matter.
4. 50 Cent’s Approach Shows Storytelling as a Tool for Accountability
As executive producer, 50 Cent uses his reputation and platform to push a project that leans into uncomfortable truths rather than protecting industry relationships. The series demonstrates how documentary storytelling can challenge established power structures, elevate marginalized voices, and pressure institutions to respond when traditional systems have failed.
5. The Cultural Backlash Reveals How Society Handles Celebrity Accountability
Reactions to the doc—ranging from people calling it necessary and brave to others dismissing it as a vendetta or smear campaign—expose how emotionally invested audiences can be in defending or condemning a famous figure. Watching that debate unfold helps viewers see how fandom, nostalgia, and bias influence who is believed, and why conversations about “cancel culture” often mask deeper questions about justice and who is considered too powerful to fall.
Entertainment
South Park’s Christmas Episode Delivers the Antichrist

A new Christmas-themed episode of South Park is scheduled to air with a central plot in which Satan is depicted as preparing for the birth of an Antichrist figure. The premise extends a season-long narrative arc that has involved Satan, Donald Trump, and apocalyptic rhetoric, positioning this holiday episode as a culmination of those storylines rather than a stand‑alone concept.
Episode premise and season context
According to published synopses and entertainment coverage, the episode frames the Antichrist as part of a fictional storyline that blends religious symbolism with commentary on politics, media, and cultural fear. This follows earlier Season 28 episodes that introduced ideas about Trump fathering an Antichrist child and tech billionaire Peter Thiel obsessing over prophecy and end‑times narratives. The Christmas setting is presented as a contrast to the darker themes, reflecting the series’ pattern of pairing holiday imagery with controversial subject matter.
Public and political reactions
Coverage notes that some figures connected to Donald Trump’s political orbit have criticized the season’s portrayal of Trump and his allies, describing the show as relying on shock tactics rather than substantive critique. Commentators highlight that these objections are directed more at the depiction of real political figures and the show’s tone than at the specific theology of the Antichrist storyline.
At the time of reporting, there have not been widely reported, detailed statements from major religious leaders focused solely on this Christmas episode, though religion-focused criticism of South Park in general has a long history.
Media and cultural commentary
Entertainment outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, Forbes, Slate, and USA Today describe the Antichrist arc as part of South Park’s ongoing use of Trump-era and tech-world politics as material for satire.
Viewer guidance and content advisory
South Park is rated TV‑MA and is intended for adult audiences due to strong language, explicit themes, and frequent use of religious and political satire. Viewers who are sensitive to depictions of Satan, the Antichrist, or parodies involving real political figures may find this episode particularly objectionable, while others may view it as consistent with the show’s long‑running approach to controversial topics. As with previous episodes, individual responses are likely to vary widely, and the episode is best understood as part of an ongoing satirical series rather than a factual or theological statement.
Entertainment
Sydney Sweeney Finally Confronts the Plastic Surgery Rumors

Sydney Sweeney has decided she is finished watching strangers on the internet treat her face like a forensic project. After years of side‑by‑side screenshots, “then vs now” TikToks, and long comment threads wondering what work she has supposedly had done, the actor is now addressing the plastic surgery rumors directly—and using them to say something larger about how women are looked at in Hollywood and online.

Growing Up on Camera vs. “Before and After” Culture
Sweeney points out that people are often mistaking normal changes for procedures: she grew up on camera, her roles now come with big‑budget glam teams, and her body has shifted as she has trained, aged, and worked nonstop. Yet every new red‑carpet photo gets folded into a narrative that assumes surgeons, not time, are responsible. Rather than walking through a checklist of what is “real,” she emphasizes how bizarre it is that internet detectives comb through pores, noses, and jawlines as if they are owed an explanation for every contour of a woman’s face.
The Real Problem Isn’t Her Face
By speaking up, Sweeney is redirecting the conversation away from her features and toward the culture that obsesses over them.
She argues that the real issue isn’t whether an actress has had work done, but why audiences feel so entitled to dissect her body as public property in the first place.
For her, the constant speculation is less about curiosity and more about control—another way to tell women what they should look like and punish them when they do not fit. In calling out that dynamic, Sweeney isn’t just defending herself; she is forcing fans and followers to ask why tearing apart someone else’s appearance has become such a popular form of entertainment.
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