Richard Simmons
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The official cause of death of fitness guru Richard Simmons is under investigation, but no ‘foul play’ has been reported.
Simmons died on Saturday. The coroner announced Monday that his cause of death has been deferred, meaning an investigation and additional testing are needed, People reported.
Simmons rose to fame in the 1980s as a motivational speaker and weight-loss instructor, famous for his own health journey, starring in his own exercise program and selling millions of aerobics Sweating on the Oldies videos and DVDs while running a fitness studio in Los Angeles. He wrote several books, including The book Never-Say-Diet by Richard Simmons from 1980 onwards, and later appeared as himself on several television shows, including Development arrested, Amazing stories, Potato chips, The Larry Sanders Show And General Hospital.
About ten years ago, his public appearances declined sharply after he closed his gym and stopped his official duties.
The New York Daily News reported in March 2016 that he was being held against his will in his home. But Simmons, who had not been seen in public for about two years, denied it and told the Today show, “Nobody Holds Me Hostage in My Home.” In 2017, writer, director, and podcaster Dan Taberski set out to unravel the mystery behind the fitness mogul’s retreat from the spotlight with his podcast, Missing Richard SimmonsIn January, Simmons said he disagreed with an upcoming biopic about his life, starring Pauly Shore.
Simmons’ cause of death was unknown when his death was announced. A spokesperson for Simmons said The Hollywood Reporter that he died earlier on Saturday at his home in Los Angeles.
His brother Lenny has since said that the news “was a real shock.”
“He wasn’t feeling very well that day as he said he thought he had food poisoning, but he recovered and went to bed a bit earlier,” he said. Entertainment tonight. “So we really didn’t think about it. We all have bad days, you know, when we don’t feel so good and if [Richard’s housekeeper, Teresa] called me, I was in shock. I called my wife, Kathy, and I said, ‘You’ve got to come here. You’ve got to hear what [Teresa’s] say.’ And it’s really… my soul is just [felt] sucked [out of my body].”
Two days before his death, Simmons spoke with People. “I know people miss me,” Simmons said. “And you know what? I miss them, too. But I can reach them through phone calls … and through emails. And I get out of the house sometimes. But I’m in disguise.”
On the eve of his death, Simmons thanked fans on Facebook for their well-wishes on his July 12 birthday. “Thank you … I’ve never had so many birthday messages in my life!” he wrote. “I’m sitting here writing emails. Have a wonderful rest of your Friday.”