Manager hints at possible public return for Richard Simmons

LOS ANGELES - A return to public life may be in store for Richard Simmons after the fitness guru inked a licensing deal for new merchandise.

License Global reports Prominent Brand + Talent is looking to create a new line of Simmons products. The company is co-founded by Simmons' longtime manager Michael Catalano.

Catalano tells The New York Times it's "possible" that Simmons would be willing to appear in public in order to promote the products, but adds that any decision "is yet to be determined."

Simmons' shying away from the spotlight is the subject of the hit podcast "Missing Richard Simmons," which sought to investigate the reasons behind Simmons' public disappearance.

Catalano tells the Times that while the podcast contained many "mistruths," it did make younger people aware of Simmons.