Richard Simmons Death – Legendary fitness guru Richard Simmons has died, ABC News reports. A cause of death has not been disclosed. According to TMZ, police responded to a call Saturday morning from Simmons’ housekeeper. He was pronounced dead at the scene. No foul play is suspected.
News of his death comes one day after his 76th birthday, which he acknowledged in a series of posts on X. “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.” TVLine has reached out to Simmons’ representatives for comment.
Rise to Fame and Pop Culture Impact
Simmons rose to fame in the 1970s after opening a series of gyms across Los Angeles. His popularity led to a pair of TV hosting gigs — Slim Cookin and the Emmy-winning Richard Simmons Show — as well as a slate of self-hosted fitness tapes released throughout the 1980s, all of which made him a certified pop culture icon.
He appeared as himself across dozens of television shows, including All My Children, Amazing Stories, Arrested Development, CHiPs, Evening Shade, Fame, General Hospital, and The Larry Sanders Show. He guested on late-night programs such as Late Night With David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and was a panelist on game shows Family Feud, The New Hollywood Squares, and Super Password. He also lent his voice to several animated series, including Dinosaurs, Fish Hooks, Hercules, Johnny Bravo, and Rocko’s Modern Life.
Public Disappearance and Speculation
Simmons halted most public appearances in 2014, prompting false speculation that he was being held against his will. In 2017, journalist Dan Taberski released a podcast titled Missing Richard Simmons where he investigated Simmons’ abrupt disappearance from the public eye and why the exercise instructor went MIA.
Rumors continued to swirl, and in 2022, Simmons issued a statement to the New York Post saying he was “happy, healthy, and living the life he has chosen.” Simmons’ passing marks the end of an era in the fitness world. His contributions to fitness and pop culture, coupled with his vibrant personality, will be remembered by many.
