Richard Simmons, a beloved fitness guru who encouraged fans to get off their couches and get moving, died Saturday. He was 76.
Simmons passed away at his home in Los Angeles, his publicist Tom Estey told The Associated Press.
The Los Angeles fire department responded to Simmons’ home in the Hollywood Hills at 9:55 a.m. A short time later, he was pronounced deceased. The fire department said he died a “natural death.”
Related: Richard Simmons Makes Rare Comment After Documentary Debuts on His Disappearance
Simmons turned 76 on Friday, July 12, and celebrated with a lengthy post on his verified Facebook page.
“When we were kids, we didn’t have any money so in school we made birthday cards. Mine were quite extravagant,” he shared.
Simmons concluded the post by thanking fans for their well-wishes. “So many of you have sent me birthday wishes on my Facebook and other platforms. I really appreciate that. I don’t know when your birthday is but I wish you a happy and healthy birthday!” he wrote.
He was born Milton Teagle Simmons in New Orleans on July 12, 1948. He graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s.
Simmons had been overweight but eventually decided to get fit.
At the time, most gyms catered to the young and fit. Dissatisfied with those gym offerings, he started a fitness movement of his own geared toward helping those considered obese. He opened his first gym and eventually lost over 100 pounds.
Simmons built a fitness empire by encouraging people struggling with their weight to exercise, eat healthier, and focus on a positive attitude. He released fitness DVDs, wrote cookbooks and started a “Cruise to Lose,” taking fans on ship journeys to better health.
After becoming a household name, he sat down for interviews on daytime and late-night TV, and hosted his own shows titled Slim Cookin’ and The Richard Simmons Show.
Simmons also tried his hand at acting. He had a recurring role as himself on General Hospital, and landed parts on CHiPs, Hercules, Arrested Development, and The Larry Sanders Show. On the big screen, he appeared in the 2000 film What Women Want.
The flamboyant fitness legend mostly remained out of the spotlight since 2014, prompting speculation that he was being held hostage or that something terrible happened.
Amid the speculation, Simmons became the subject of a podcast called “Missing Richard Simmons,” and the 2022 documentary TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons.
Following the release of the documentary, Simmons broke his silence and let fans know he was doing okay.
In March of this year, Simmons revealed he was being treated for skin cancer. In a post on Facebook, he said he underwent a painful procedure and his medical team was able to “remove the cancer cells.”
Earlier today, as news of his death spread, he was remembered on social media.
Former talk show host Ricki Lake shared a picture of herself with Simmons and wrote on X, “My heart is broken with the loss of this super special human. May he RIP. #richardsimmons. I loved him so so much.”
Comedian and actor Pauly Shore, who recently signed on to play Simmons in an unauthorized biopic, also remembered the fitness guru on X.
“I just got word like everyone else that the beautiful Richard Simmons has passed. I hope you’re at peace and twinkling up in the heavens. Please give my mother Mitzi and my father Sammy a big hug and a kiss for me. You’re one of a kind, Richard. An amazing life. An amazing story. They broke the dolphin shorts when they made you,” Shore wrote on the platform. “Rest in peace, my friend. Rest in peace.”
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