PHOENIX, May 26, 2004
Simmons Assault Charge Exorcised
Airline Passenger Allegedly Slapped By Exercise Guru Drops Charge
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Richard Simmons (AP)
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Simmons, the outlandish 55-year-old known for his exercise videos, was accused of slapping a 6-foot-2, 250-pound ultimate cage fighter, reportedly in retaliation for a sarcastic remark.
The fellow passenger recognized Simmons, known for his "Sweatin' to the Oldies" series of exercise videos set to songs from the 1950s and 60s, in March at Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport as they were waiting for a flight to Los Angeles
The man "made the off-hand comment, 'Hey everybody. It's Richard Simmons. Let's drop our bags and rock to the '50s,'" said Phoenix police Sgt. Tom Osborne in March. "Mr. Simmons took exception to it and walked over to the other passenger and apparently slapped him in the face."
The passenger was not injured but chose to press charges, police said. Simmons was cited for misdemeanor assault and then permitted to board his flight.
The cage wrestler, identified as Christopher Farney, agreed to drop the misdemeanor charge against Simmons, according to court documents filed May 19. The documents didn't specify why the charge was dropped.
İMMIV CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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