Former Rare Staff
Richard Simmons will have to pay the price losing his defamation lawsuit against the National Enquirer — and by the end of the ordeal, he could be well over $200,000 out of pocket, TMZ reports.
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The legendary fitness guru sued the tabloid after they reported that he was transitioning from a man into a woman after some time away from the public eye.
The case was dismissed when the judge ruled that misidentifying someone as transgender does not expose them to “hatred, contempt or ridicule,” adding “the characteristic may be held in contempt by a portion of the population, [but] the court will not validate those prejudices by legally recognizing them.”
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Simmons’ lawyer disagreed with the ruling, and told TMZ, “Transgenders can’t joint the Air Force, they can’t go to the bathroom.”
Simmons was ordered to cover the legal expenses of the National Enquirer, which TMZ claims could total over $200,000 — including fees as high as just under $50k for services rendered over 95 hours for one lawyer and as low as $600 to a paralegal who only put in 2 hours of work.
TMZ also reports that Simmons intends to appeal the ruling, which could end up costing him even more money.
