Pauly Shore’s Controversial Short Film Where He Plays Richard Simmons Is Out Now

There needs to be a movie about Pauly Shore‘s Richard Simmons movie.

Last week, Simmons distanced himself from The Court Jester, a short film starring The Weasel as the Sweatin’ to the Oldies fitness guru. “We’re told Pauly and Richard’s team spoke last year about PS portraying him in a film,” TMZ reported, “but Richard’s people told the comedian the timing wasn’t right for Richard to get on board.” Well, The Court Jester screened at the Sundance Film Festival this weekend, and Shore claims Simmons came around.

He began by telling the crowd Richard texted him earlier in the day, wishing him “good luck” with the screening. The audience gave its rousing approval. It’s a total about-face… just a few days ago, Richard wrote on Facebook, “You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore. I have never given my permission for this movie. So don’t believe everything you read.”

Shore told Variety that The Court Jester isn’t making fun of Simmons, it comes from “love. It’s never been vindictive. I’m not Borat. I’m not ‘let’s make fun of someone.’ It’s the opposite. At this point, it’s an unauthorized biopic and they’re made every day. Yes, I want him to put his pixie dust on this and say, ‘Go for it, Pauly.’ It’s Richard being Richard. It’s sensitive. We don’t want to bug him. We want him to be left alone and we don’t want to bug him.” He added, “Who’s going to play Richard Simmons Leonardo DiCaprio is not going to play Richard Simmons. I look like him.”

OK, but if Leo wanted to recreate the time Simmons was on Whose Line Is It Anyway, it would somehow win an Oscar and an Emmy.

You can watch The Court Jester short film below.