Eccentric fitness guru Richard Simmons, renowned for his unwavering positivity, has passed away, according to his representative.
Simmons had just celebrated his 76th birthday on Friday.
The Los Angeles Police Department responded to his home following a 911 call from his housekeeper and found Simmons deceased, according to police sources. It appears he died of natural causes, and no foul play is suspected.
Simmons had worried fans three months ago when he posted on Facebook that he was dying, writing in March, “I have some news to tell you. Please don’t be sad. I am …. dying. Oh, I can see your faces now. The truth is we all are dying. Every day we live, we are getting closer to our death.”
He later clarified that he was not actually dying, but intended the message to encourage everyone to “embrace every day that we have.”
Simmons had been out of the public eye recently, though there were reports of a biopic being made about the fitness enthusiast earlier this year. Simmons criticized these reports, writing, “Don’t believe everything you read. I no longer have a manager, and I no longer have a publicist. I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful.”
Simmons was very active on social media, often posting several times a day. He posted about his birthday on Facebook a day before his death, writing, “Thank you…I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life! I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday.”
In March, he informed his fans that he had skin cancer removed from his face but was now doing well. “I know some of you reading this have had cancer or have known someone in your life who has had cancer,” he wrote. “Promise me you will see your doctor and get a complete check up.”
Born Milton Teagle Simmons in New Orleans on July 12, 1948, he adopted the name Richard while growing up.
Simmons often spoke about being overweight as a child, which led to his weight loss journey and career in fitness starting in the 1970s and ’80s. His initial foray into weight loss was the opening of his gym, Slimmons, in Beverly Hills, California.
He released his first book, “Never Say Diet,” in 1980, the first of 12 books he would publish in his career.
His fitness videos gained massive popularity in the 1980s, coinciding with a nationwide fitness craze that included the growing popularity of aerobics and Jazzercise. His “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” series became some of the most popular videos of the era.
Simmons made regular TV appearances, including guest spots on talk shows like “Late Show with David Letterman” and “The Rosie O’Donnell Show.” He had a recurring role on the soap opera “General Hospital” and made guest appearances on shows like “Arrested Development” and “The Larry Sanders Show.”
He also hosted his own talk and fitness show, “The Richard Simmons Show,” from 1980 to 1984, which won four Daytime Emmy Awards.