Fitness guru Richard Simmons dead at 76, cause of death revealed

On Saturday, Richard Simmons, famous for motivating people struggling with weight issues to lead a more active lifestyle and embrace better dietary choices, passed away.

Simmons, renowned for his colorful tank tops and brief shorts, infused television with an exuberant spirit as the animated jester of physical fitness. He celebrated his 76th birthday on Friday.

As per a message sent by Tom Estey, the publicist of Richard Simmons, to The Associated Press, the fitness icon has died at his residence in Los Angeles. Estey expressed, “Today we mourn the loss of an Angel – a genuine Angel.”

The Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson verified that officers were dispatched to Richard Simmons’ residence on Belfast Drive in response to a 911 call, arriving at 9:57 a.m. on Saturday.

Upon arrival, a rescue ambulance found a 76-year-old man who was declared dead at the scene by firefighter/paramedics as a result of what appeared to be natural causes.

LAFD Captain Erik Scott stated that there was no need for hospital transportation as a consequence.

Just two days before his passing, Richard contemplated his aspirations for his legacy.

He informed People that he had never considered himself a celebrity. He also revealed that he is actually quite shy and tends to be introverted.

When the curtain goes up, everything changes. My goal is to bring joy to the audience.

I receive a lot of praise in emails. I think today we will probably reply to more than 100 emails.

People often tell me, “I’m your biggest fan!” and I reply, “Please don’t say that. I’m just a regular person like you, and I know you do amazing things as well!”

Simmons’ brother, Lenny Simmons, confirmed the death in a statement.

Lenny Simmons said he doesn’t want people to feel sad about his brother. He wants them to remember the happiness and love his brother brought to their lives.

Lenny said, “We can’t believe it.” “Please be kind to the family right now.”
Tom Estey, who has been Simmons’ publicist for a long time, said, “An Angel left the World today.”

Just one day before he unexpectedly passed away, Simmons had a big celebration for his 76th birthday and went on social media to express his gratitude for all the birthday messages he received.

Thank you so much for all the birthday messages! I’ve never received this many before. Right now, I’m sitting here replying to emails. Have a great rest of your Friday!

He signed the post “Love, Richard.”

Simmons, raised in New Orleans, struggled with his weight from a young age, reaching almost 200 pounds when he was just 15 years old. When he finished high school, he weighed 268 pounds, which he has shared on his website.

From 1980 to 1984, he hosted the Richard Simmons Show that focused on personal health and fitness.

He became well-known for his workout videos, like the ones called Sweatin’ to the Oldies from 1988, 1990, and 1991.

Simmons got even more famous by going on lots of TV shows, from The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson to game shows like Match Game and The New Hollywood Squares. He was on TV a lot during the ’90s and 2000s, showing up on shows with Jay Leno and David Letterman.

Over the years, Simmons made a lot of money selling workout videos. He had a fancy exercise studio and restaurant in Beverly Hills where famous people like Barbra Streisand and Paul Newman would go.

After he stopped appearing in public, he told everyone about his skin sickness in March 2024. People started guessing about how he was doing. At first, TMZ said he had died.

We are really sorry to hear about this loss. We hope he finds peace.

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