Richard Simmons, Fitness Guru, Dies at 76

Richard Simmons has died at age 76, his longtime publicist, Tom Estey, confirmed to PEOPLE.

The professional fitness coach died at his Los Angeles home after his birthday. TMZ was first to report the news on Saturday, July 13, citing law enforcement. The outlet said no foul play was suspected, and that authorities responded to a call from a housekeeper at around 10 a.m. PT on Saturday.

"The world has truly lost an angel," Estey told PEOPLE of Simmons.

The fitness guru — who had not been seen in public since 2014 — posted on social media as recently as Saturday morning local time. He also let fans know the day before — on his 76th birthday — that he "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," he wrote on Friday, July 13, in one of his final two posts.

Simmons most recently spoke to PEOPLE about his plans to celebrate his 76th birthday, in a story published on Friday. At the time, he said he planned to blow out a few candles for the occasion.

"But the candle will probably be on a zucchini. You know, I'm a vegetarian," he said, before admitting that he would try "maybe one Pepperidge Farm Milano cookie."

Simmons added that he felt "good" to be turning 76. "I am grateful that I'm here, that I am alive for another day," he said. "I'll spend my birthday doing what I do every day, which is to help people."  

The popular instructor had humble beginnings. He was born Milton Teagle Simmons to vaudeville performer parents on July 12, 1948. He was raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans, where he held odd jobs — including selling pralines at the age of 8 — to help his parents out with money.

Simmons was an overweight child and often teased by his classmates for his size. By the time he graduated high school, the 5'7" star had reached 270 lbs. But it wasn't until he received an anonymous note on his car windshield telling him, "Fat people die young; please don't die," that Simmons decided he needed to lose weight for good. He ended up going on an unhealthy diet binge, losing 112 lbs. in just two-and-a-half months, and landed in the hospital when his kidneys malfunctioned.

When Simmons moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s, he decided to learn all he could about nutrition to keep his weight off in a healthy way. In 1975, he opened a health food store/exercise studio, Ruffage and Anatomy Asylum. The studio became a hit with celebrities, and Simmons' star also began to rise.

Over the next four decades, Simmons lived a life in the spotlight as a pop culture fitness icon, releasing five bestselling books, producing more than 50 workout videos, hosting weight loss cruises, teaching classes at his Slimmons studio in Beverly Hills, and appearing on talk shows and speaking tours.

Then in early 2014, Simmons made the decision to retreat from the public eye. He made his last public appearance in January of that year, and taught his final class at his famed Slimmons studio — which he officially closed in November 2016 — that February.

Simmons initially said he was taking time off to recover after a knee injury, but was never seen in public again.

In March 2016, Simmons called the Today show to say that he was in good health and not being held at his home against his will, despite reports.

"I do what I want to do as I've always done," he said at the time. "I've taught, like, thousands and thousands of classes and, you know, right now I just want to sort of just take care of me. I just really don't want to do anything. I just don't want to be traveling anymore. It certainly has taken its toll on me."

He added: "You haven't seen the last of me. I'll come back and I'll come back strong."

In June 2016, Simmons was hospitalized for dehydration, but said in a statement after the incident that "now I am feeling great." He was also hospitalized on April 17, 2017 after experiencing "severe indigestion," his manager Michael Catalano confirmed to PEOPLE at the time.

Public interest in Simmons was drummed up in February 2017 when he became the subject of the Missing Richard Simmons podcast. Simmons' longtime rep Tom Estey told PEOPLE he and Simmons did not participate in the podcast because "if there was a reason for us to comment or to cooperate, then we would certainly have done it, but we just didn't feel the need."

"He made a choice to take a break from public life, which he has the right to do," Estey continued. "People need to respect that and not surmise that there's something wrong, when there's nothing wrong."

Even though he had retreated from the public eye, Simmons continued to lead a relaxed life at home with his longtime housekeeper Teresa Reveles, according to his older brother Lenny, who was one of the few people to remain in contact with the star.

"He's doing exactly what he wants to do," Lenny Simmons told PEOPLE. "It's not like he's sitting around doing absolutely nothing and staring into empty space, because that's not him. I know he reads, I know he watches TV, I know he rests. I presume he exercises because he looks good. He loves his birds and his garden. He has a lot of hummingbirds that he feeds — he has hundreds of them. He helps cook — he's always been a good cook."

Speculation that Simmons might re-emerge began to rise after his manager's company, Prominent Brand + Talent, announced on April 6, 2017, that it had secured the exclusive worldwide rights to represent Simmons for merchandising, licensing and endorsements. "All I can say, at least for now, is it is possible," Catalano told The New York Times about whether Simmons would be directly involved in future deals. "But it is yet to be determined, I would say."

In March 2024, Simmons opened up about his health and revealed in an emotional post on Facebook that he had been diagnosed with skin cancer after noticing a "bump under my right eye." At the time, he shared with supporters that he was told he had basal cell carcinoma, and that after seeing a doctor, his cancerous cells were successfully removed. The message came days after he shared another message on Facebook about dying, which sparked health concerns. He later apologized for the “confusion."

“Sorry many of you have gotten upset about my message today. Even the press has gotten in touch with me. I am not dying,” Simmons wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). “It was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have. Sorry for this confusion."

Simmons will be remembered by his fans and friends for his flamboyant personality and dedication to helping others.

"This man is a world treasure," Estey previously told PEOPLE. "He has helped millions of people lose millions of pounds, he has saved millions of lives. For 40 years, he took care of everyone else but himself."