
Richard Simmons, the fitness expert, passed away, NBC News was informed by two law enforcement sources.
One day after turning 76 years old, Simmons was discovered unconscious at his Hollywood Hills home on Saturday, according to law enforcement officials. His death’s precise cause is still unknown.
Lenny Simmons, the brother of Simmons, issued a statement confirming the death.
Lenny Simmons remarked, “I don’t want people to be depressed about my brother.” “I want people to remember him for the sincere happiness and love he instilled in their lives.”
“We’re stunned,” Lenny Simmons continued. “At this difficult moment, please show the family some respect.”
The longtime spokesman for Simmons, Tom Estey, said in a statement, “The world lost an angel today.”
Simmons thanked followers on social media on Friday for their birthday wishes in a post.
“I’m grateful for…In my entire life, I have never received so many birthday messages!” Simmons authored a piece. “I’m composing emails while I sit here. I hope you enjoy the remainder of your Friday.
“Love, Richard,” was his post’s signature.
Following the opening of gyms and the release of numerous fitness videos, Simmons—the fitness instructor well-known for his quirky demeanor and “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” workout videos—rose to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s.
As “one of the world’s most revered and iconic fitness personalities,” according to his website, he has been a motivator and coach for more than 40 years.
“He has assisted millions of overweight men and women in losing over 3,000,000 pounds by combining his signature humor with a serious message and encouraging them to follow energizing, enjoyable, and stimulating workout regimens,” according to a Simmons biography on his website.
Growing up in New Orleans, Simmons battled his weight from an early age, reaching a weight of about 200 pounds at the age of fifteen. His website states that he weighed 268 pounds when he graduated from high school.
When he was a young guy, he was approached by an agent while dining outside and was given a scholarship to study art in Florence, Italy. He was then employed to model for TV commercials. He appeared in almost 130 ads, portraying various characters such as a dancing meatball and a pat of margarine. He also starred in Fruit of the Loom underwear and Dannon yogurt advertisements.
One day, Simmons found a letter that said, “Fat people die young,” taped to the windshield of his Fiat while he was at the grocery store. Don’t die, please.”
It made him want to try everything, including exercise, injections, medications, fasting, and fasting to lose weight. He went from 268 pounds to 156 pounds, but following multiple hair transplants and plastic surgery procedures, he understood the significance of gradually gaining health and dropping weight, which inspired him to pursue studies in nutrition and health.
From there, he moved to Los Angeles in 1973 to pursue his abilities on the West Coast, but according to his website, he was unable to locate a gym that “wasn’t intended for those who were already physically fit.” Thus, Simmons decided to open one, and in 1974 SLIMMONS in Beverly Hills opened.
After observing what he thought to be the self-destructive eating habits of the people he was serving as a maître d’ in Los Angeles, Simmons opened the Anatomy Asylum, an adjacent training facility, and the healthy restaurant Ruffage in 1975.
His exuberant attitude and concern for his clients drew in celebrities like Paul Newman, Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, Dustin Hoffman, and Joanne Woodward. Television producers took notice of him as well, and they urged him to spread his message and establish himself as a regular on discussion shows.
According to his website, he held lectures and taught workshops at SLIMMONS till 2013. Due to his popularity, he was able to launch his own nationally syndicated television show, “The Richard Simmons Show,” which aired for four years and won numerous Emmys.
On his website, Simmons lists his other accomplishments as authoring nine books, three recipes, and 65 workout DVDs that have sold over 20 million copies.
Since 2014, Simmons has been somewhat of a recluse. In January, he published a statement against an impending biopic about his life that stars comedian and actor Pauly Shore, something Simmons claims he never approved of.
“I never granted my consent for his film. Thus, don’t believe everything you read,” he said at the time in a Facebook post. “I have parted ways with both my management and publicist. I just make an effort to be calm and have a tranquil life. I appreciate all of your kindness and help.
Simmons has been active on social media since that post, frequently posting tales about individuals and events in his life as well as inspirational messages. Topics covered in the posts have included his family, fitness, and his early years in New Orleans as well as racial segregation.
He passed only a few months after stating, “I am…dying,” in a mysterious social media post. Later on, he took it back, but the next day, he revealed that he had received a skin cancer diagnosis.
He stated that he had “news” to share in the social media post on March 18.
Don’t be depressed, please. I’m about to die. Yes, I can now see your faces. It’s a fact that we are all dying. We are growing closer to death every day that we live,” Simmons stated.
“Why am I revealing this to you? Because I want you to live each and every day to the utmost,” he added in the message. “Look up at the sky when you wake up in the morning. Take pleasure and count your blessings.
The remainder of the post contained advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle and prompts to give your loved ones hugs.
He updated again later that day to make it clear he wasn’t dying.
I apologize for the upset many of you have caused with my message today. I’ve even had contact from the media. I’m not going to die,” he wrote. “The message was that we should be grateful for each day that we have,”
He revealed the next day that he had been given a skin cancer diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma.
The following day, he announced on social media once more that the problem had been fixed following three sessions with Dr. Ralph A. Massey, a so-called “cancer doctor.”
It was not immediately evident if Simmons’ recent diagnosis of skin cancer contributed to his demise.