The acclaimed fitness guru Richard Simmons went yesterday at the age of 76. He passed away on Saturday, July 13, the day after celebrating his birthday, according to his longtime publicist Tom Estey. The Los Angeles Police Department told that they are still looking into Simmons’ cause of death, but they do not believe foul play is to blame. Around 10 a.m. local time on Saturday, cops responded to a call from a housekeeper and found Simmons dead at his Los Angeles residence.
The Medical Examiner’s Office reportedly stated that Simmons’ cause of death has been postponed, necessitating more research and testing, as reported by TMZ. Finding the precise reason of his death could take up to three months. Just a few days before he passed away, Simmons, who hadn’t been spotted in public since 2014, shared his thoughts on turning 76. “I’m happy to be here and to be alive for another day,” he uttered. My birthday will be spent helping people, which is what I do every day.”
Even though Simmons has been more reticent lately, he has continued to communicate with his followers via email and phone conversations. “I know people miss me,” he said in his farewell interview. Furthermore, what do you know? I also miss them. However, I can get in touch with them by phone and email. And yes, occasionally I do leave the house. But I’m not who I seem.”
By reflecting on his legacy, Simmons said, “I never thought of myself as a celebrity. People don’t know this, I’m really a shy person and a little bit of an introvert. But when that curtain goes up that’s a different story. I’m there to make people happy.” He said, “The accolades I get from emails. I mean, today most probably, we’ll answer over 100 emails. And they’ll say, ‘I’m your No. 1 fan.’ And I just write back, and I say, you know, ‘Don’t say that because I’m a human being just like you. And I know that you do good things, too.’”