Remembering Richard Simmons: Photos of the Late Fitness Guru
Fitness icon Richard Simmons, who made it his mission to make exercising fun, has died at 76.
Los Angeles police responded to a 911 call from Simmons’ home on Saturday, July 13. Once they arrived, they found Simmons deceased, ABC News reported. No cause of death was given, but he is believed to have died of natural causes.
Simmon had just celebrated his birthday on Friday. In one of his final Facebook posts, he spoke about how grateful he was for all the well wishes he’d received.
“Thank you…I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life! I am sitting here writing emails,” he wrote. “Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday.”
Simmons was born Milton Teagle Simmons in New Orleans in 1948. His experience as an overweight child and teen – at one point he weighed 268 pounds – eventually led to his interest in fitness.
In 1974, Simmons opened his own exercise studio, Slimmons, in Beverly Hills. It remained in business for more than 40 years before closing in 2016.
In the 1980s, Simmons became a nationally recognized figure thanks to his best-selling books, his Sweatin’ to the Oldies videos, and his daytime talk series, The Richard Simmons Show.
Simmons was also a frequent guest on The Tonight Show and played himself on General Hospital for three years in the last ‘70s and early ‘80s.
Simmons’ boisterous personality, non-judgmental approach to fitness and health, and willingness to interact one-on-one with fans propelled him to worldwide fame.
In recent years, Simmons stepped away from the spotlight. One of his last appearances was at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2013.
Simmons’ retreat from the public eye sparked both concern and conspiracy theories, and some people even speculated that he was being held hostage. The 2017 podcast Missing Richard Simmons attempted to discover what had happened to the much-loved exercise instructor, though critics slammed it as invasive and “morally suspect.”
In 2022, a spokesperson told the New York Post that Simmons was “happy, healthy and living the life he has chosen to live.” Soon after, he resurfaced on social media and began communicating again with his fans.
Earlier in 2024, Simmons spoke out against a proposed movie about his life starring comedian Pauly Shore.
“Hi Everybody! 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,” he wrote on Facebook. “I no longer have a manager, and I no longer have a publicist. I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful. Thank you for all your love and support.”
A few days before his death, he said he was working on sharing his story with the world.
“Getting closer to telling my story in my own words,” he wrote. “I’m so excited!”
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