Eccentric fitness guru Richard Simmons has died at the age of 76, according to his representative.
Police officers and firefighters responded to his Hollywood Hills home after a housekeeper found him unresponsive on Saturday just before 10 a.m., law enforcement sources told TMZ. He was reportedly pronounced dead at the scene.
Simmons’ cause of death was not immediately clear. Sources said he took a fall in his bathroom Friday night, but it’s not yet known if that contributed to his death. Police do not suspect foul play.
Simmons had just celebrated his 76th birthday on Friday.
Born Milton Teagle Simmons in New Orleans in 1948, the fitness legend said he adopted the name Richard in high school after an uncle who promised to help him pay for college.
Simmons, who was open about his struggles with obesity in his childhood and adolescence, moved to Los Angeles in the ’70s, where he opened his own exercise studio, the Anatomy Asylum. It placed an emphasis on healthy eating and portion control and provided a supportive environment for anyone interested in wellness.
The studio was later renamed “Slimmons” and continued operations in Beverly Hills, where Simmons taught weekly aerobics classes. It closed in 2016.
Simmons, beloved for his flamboyant energy and over-the-top outfits, first exploded in popularity in the 1980s. He’s perhaps best known for his “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” workout videos, which helped inspire a nationwide aerobics craze.
Along with nearly 70 fitness videos over the course of his career, he also released 12 diet and exercise books, along with dozens of audio cassettes and CDs.
Simmons’ success even led to an eponymous talk show, which aired from 1980 to 1984, and earned him multiple Daytime Emmy Awards. He was also a frequent talk show guest and had a recurring role on “General Hospital” from 1979 to 2013.
Simmons stopped making public appearances in 2014, opting to retreat from the spotlight, but frequently shared updates and inspiring messages on social media.
The shocking news of his death comes after Simmons worried fans with a cryptic Facebook message in March, in which he told his followers he was “dying.”
He returned to the platform hours later to address the concerning post.
“Sorry many of you have gotten upset about my message today. Even the press has gotten in touch with me. I am not dying,” he wrote on Facebook. “It was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have. Sorry for the confusion.”
The following day, he announced he’d been diagnosed with skin cancer, but was doing well after having the cancerous cells removed from his face.
