Add to the chorus of celebrities piling on the Obamas this Thanksgiving the fitness legend Richard Simmons. Speaking to HuffPost Live Wednesday afternoon, Simmons lamented that while he “loved” Michelle Obama, he had been “totally” rejected by the White House.
“I wanted to meet them both, [but] they have rejected me–totally, totally,” Simmons told HuffPost Live, casting suspicions on any claim that the White House is making all possible efforts to promote fitness in America. Simmons described his support for the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” program and said that he had reached out to try to participate and promote the fitness efforts from the White House but had been cast aside. “I’m just not their set of sheets,” he explained.
Simmons took issue to being asked if his “flamboyancy” was the issue at hand. Calling it an “ugly question,” he answered instead that he was “not a very political person,” but, knowing a thing or two about getting people to lose weight, he thought he could help.
The exercise guru did express some political opinions. “Congress and Senate, they are always fighting… we need to try to get along in this country,” he implored. “No one has insurance… it’s just a mess.”
Simmons concluded by shaking off the rejection from the Obama administration. He was, he explained, a symbol of self-acceptance, even when “the host talks about your flamboyancy” despite wearing clothes that did not please Simmons.
Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign has fielded a number of controversies, from the postal stamps deemed too “unsafe” for children to see to the fact that its official website continued to operate while the Amber Alert system shut down during the government shutdown.
Watch Richard Simmons deliver his allegations of neglect on HuffPost Live below:
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