80s fitness pioneer Richard Simmons has been found dead at the age of 76. The night before his death, on July 12, Simmons celebrated his 76th birthday. The TV personality rose to fame in the US in the 1980s with his Electric Energy fitness videos. Simmons was found dead by his housekeeper, who immediately called 911 and pronounced him dead on Saturday. A day before his death, the fitness star expressed gratitude for fans’ love and wishes in a series of posts on his birthday on Friday.
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Richard Simmons dies at the age of 76
Simmons, a popular name in the fitness industry in the 80s, died at his home in Hollywood just after his birthday. The news of Simmons’ death came a few months after he revealed on Facebook that he had skin cancer. Earlier this year, he had revealed that he had gone to the doctor to get a bump that appeared just below his eye checked, as reported by USA Today. The late fitness enthusiast’s publicist Tom Estes confirmed his death, however, when asked about the cause of death, he said, “No information.” Foul play is not suspected in Simmons’ death yet.
Ahead of his birthday, in a recent interview with People magazine, Simmons shared his plans for his birthday. He said, “But the candle will probably be on zucchini. You know, I’m a vegetarian.” He further added, “I feel good! I’m grateful that I’m here, that I’m alive for another day. I’m going to spend my birthday doing what I do every day, that is, helping people.”
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Celebrities express their love and condolences
Following the news of Simmons’ death on Saturday, several celebrities from the industry offered their condolences. They shared photos and thoughts about the fitness pioneer on social media platforms like Instagram and X, reports USA Today.
Journalist Yashar Ali shared a joint tribute post for Simmons and Dr. Ruth, who died Friday night at the age of 96. He shared a clip of an interview of Simmons by Dr. Ruth and wrote, “Two icons gone on the same day… Richard Simmons and Dr. Ruth!”
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American actor and comedian Pauly Shore also expressed his disbelief over Simmons’ tragic demise and he wrote, “I received the news like everyone else that the beautiful Richard Simmons has passed away. I hope you are at peace and shining in heaven. Please give my mom Mitzi and my dad Sammy a big hug and a kiss for me. You are a one of a kind person, Richard. An amazing life. An amazing story. They broke out the dolphin shorts while making you. Rest in peace, my friend. Rest in peace.”
Actress and comedian Bridget Riverett shared a photo of herself with Simmons in an Instagram post and reminisced about the good times they had together, captioning it, “Meeting Richard Simmons and taking his class at Slimmons exceeded all my expectations. I got the chance to talk to him afterward and it was both thrilling and heartbreaking. I’m a huge fan of his. He truly gave his heart to the world. One of a kind. **Richard, whose line is it, is incredible. Check it out!”
