NEW YORK, NY – Sources close to fitness guru Richard Simmons confirm that the enigmatic personality continues to operate under the firm belief that David Letterman harbored a profound, if unconventional, adoration for him. This conviction reportedly persists even after a significant period of absence from Letterman's iconic late-night couch, an absence many attributed to the host's characteristic brand of playful torment.

“Richard always saw it as tough love,” explained a former associate, speaking on condition of anonymity. “He thought Dave’s eye-rolls were just his way of showing he cared deeply. Like a really, really awkward hug.” The associate added that Simmons interpreted Letterman’s notorious on-air pranks, such as dousing him with a fire extinguisher, as “a unique form of bonding.”

Cultural historians suggest Simmons’s unwavering perspective offers a rare glimpse into the psychological resilience required to thrive in the cutthroat world of celebrity. “To consistently interpret thinly veiled annoyance as affection is not just optimism; it’s a superpower,” noted Dr. Evelyn Reed, a professor of media studies at the University of Central Florida. “Most guests just got therapy; Simmons got a new lease on life.”

Simmons himself has not publicly commented on the matter, presumably because he’s still waiting for Letterman’s call to catch up over a kale smoothie.