In the 1980s, Richard Simmons rose to fame as the energetic, curly-haired fitness guru who hosted Sweatin' to the Oldies. The TV personality sold millions of his aerobic workout videos in the years that followed. Although Simmons mostly disappeared from the public eye in recent years, he often posted updates via social media.
Tragically, Simmons died at age 76 on July 13, 2024. The news came on the heels of his birthday. Let's take a closer look at the life and death of the fitness legend in the wake of his death.
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Richard Simmons died on Saturday, July 13, 2024. TMZ broke the news of Richard's death. The news outlet reported that the fitness guru's housekeeper called 911 that morning. After first responders arrived at his Los Angele home, he was pronounced dead.
In March, Simmons revealed he had been diagnosed with skin cancer — basal cell carcinoma, to be exact — in a lengthy Facebook post.
As of writing, the cause of death for Simmons has not been publicly shared. ABC News reported that he appeared to have died of natural causes. No foul play is suspected, the Los Angeles Police Department told the news outlet.
Simmons celebrated his 76th birthday on July 12, one day before he unexpectedly died. To mark his big day, he took to Facebook to share a photo from his first birthday. Simmons also reminisced on past birthdays.
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Later on his birthday, Simmons returned to Facebook to thank fans for their kind words. "Thank you…I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life!" he wrote. I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday. Love, Richard."
On July 14, the fitness personality's brother, Lenny Simmons, shared a post to fans from his late brother's Facebook account.
"I don’t want people to be sad about my brother," Lenny wrote. "I want them to remember him for the genuine joy and love he brought to people’s lives. He truly cared about people. He called, wrote, and emailed thousands of people throughout his career to offer help."
He continued, "So don’t be sad. Celebrate his life! He was very excited about all of the upcoming ventures he was working on. We are in shock. Please respect the family at this difficult time."
