Fitness Icon Richard Simmons Passes Away At 76

While most of the attention on Saturday, July 13, 2024 was on the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump — and rightfully so — many missed the sad news that American fitness guru Richard Simmons, who passed away at his home in the Hollywood Hills. Man, no matter what you think about Simmons, he was indeed an icon of American pop culture. A lot of folks were under the impression he wasn’t doing well when he made a social media post just a few months ago saying he was dying, which he then clarified as not being literal.

via The Daily Caller:

First responders answered a call placed by Simmons’s housekeeper just before 10 a.m. Saturday, according to TMZ. Simmons, who had turned 76 a day earlier, was reportedly pronounced dead at the scene. The police are investigating the high-profile death with no foul play suspected, according to the outlet.

Simmons had posted on social media the previous day thanking followers for the birthday messages he had been receiving. “I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life!” Simmons wrote. “I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday.”

Simmons tweeted Friday a thread reminiscing about his early birthdays with his family, posting a picture of himself turning one. He appeared to have posted his last tweet only hours before his death.

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.
Love,
Richard

— Richard Simmons (@TheWeightSaint) July 12, 2024

Simmons first rose to prominence during the 70s and 80s, but exited public life in 2014, finally reappearing back in 2022. The fitness legend primarily used social media to try and stay in contact with his extremely loyal fan base and provide insights into his private life or clear up any sort of confusion concerning stories shared by the media.

Simmons revealed in March that he had basal cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer. After some confusion regarding his cryptic posts, however, he clarified he was not terminally ill. The cause of Simmons’s death is still unknown, according to the outlet.

According to a new report from TMZ, published on Monday, Simmons’ housekeeper revealed that he had a nasty fall in his bathroom and she tried to get him to go to a doctor following the incident, but he refused, wanting to stay home for his birthday.

As we reported, Richard fell Friday evening at home, in a bathroom … and according to law enforcement sources, when his housekeeper came to help him up, she implored Richard to seek medical attention that night.

We’re told Richard had described feeling dizzy before the fall, but he rejected the housekeeper’s suggestion about seeing a doctor … telling her maybe he’d go Saturday, but particularly didn’t want to go that night as it had been his 76th birthday. So, she helped him back to bed, and that was that.