Richard Simmons, a fitness guru who mixed laughs and sweat, dies at 76 (2024)

NEW YORK (AP) — Richard Simmons, television’s hyperactive court jester of physical fitness who built a mini-empire in his trademark tank tops and short shorts by urging the overweight to exercise and eat better, died Saturday. He turned 76 on Friday.

Simmons died at his home in Los Angeles, his publicist Tom Estey said in an email to The Associated Press. He gave no further details.

Los Angeles police and fire departments say they responded to a house — whose address the AP has matched with Simmons through public records — where a man was declared dead from natural causes.

Simmons, who had revealed a skin diagnosis in March 2024, had lately dropped out of sight, sparking speculating about his health and well-being. His death was first reported by TMZ.

Simmons was a former 268-pound teen who became a master of many media forms, sharing his hard-won weight-loss tips as host of the Emmy-winning daytime “Richard Simmons Show” and author of best-selling books and the diet plan Deal-A-Meal. He also opened exercise studios and starred exercise videos, including the wildly successful “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” line, which became a cultural phenomenon.

“My food plan and diet are just two words — common sense. With a dash of good humor,” he told The Associated Press in 1982. “I want to help people and make the world a healthier, happy place.”

Simmons embraced mass communication to get his message out, even as he eventually became the butt of jokes for his outfits and flamboyant flair. He was a sought-after guest on TV shows led by Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas and Phil Donahue. But David Letterman would prank him and Howard Stern would tease him until he cried. He was mocked in Neil Simon’s “The Goodbye Girl” on Broadway in 1993, and Eddie Murphy put on white makeup and dressed like him in “The Nutty Professor,” screaming “I’m a pony!”

Asked if he thought he could motivate people by being silly, Simmons answered, “I think there’s a time to be serious and a time to be silly. It’s knowing when to do it. I try to have a nice combination. Being silly cures depression. It catches people off guard and makes them think. But in between that silliness is a lot of seriousness that makes sense. It’s a different kind of training.”

Simmons’ daytime show was seen on 200 stations in America, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan and South America. His first book, “Never Say Diet,” was a smash best-seller.

He was known to counsel the severely obese, including Rosalie Bradford, who held records for being the world’s heaviest woman, and Michael Hebranko, who credited Simmons for helping him lose 700 pounds. Simmons put real people — chubby, balding or non-telegenic — in his exercise videos to make the fitness goals seem reachable.

Throughout his career, Simmons was a reliable critic of fad diets, always emphasizing healthy eating and exercise plans. “There’ll always be some weird thing about eating four grapes before you go to bed, or drinking a special tea, or buying this little bean from El Salvador,” he told the AP in 2005 as the Atkins diet craze swept the country. “If you watch your portions and you have a good attitude and you work out every day you’ll live longer, feel better and look terrific.”

Simmons was a native of New Orleans, a chubby boy named Milton by his parents. (He renamed himself “Richard” around the age of 10 to improve his self-image). He would tell people he ate to excess because he believed his parents liked his older brother more. He was teased by schoolmates and ballooned to almost 200 pounds.

Simmons told the AP his mother watched exercise guru Jack LaLanne’s TV show religiously when he was growing up, but he wasn’t crazy about the fitness fanatic. “I hated him,” Simmons said. “I wasn’t ready for his message because he was fit and he was healthy and he had such a positive attitude, and I was none of those things.”

Simmons went to Italy as a foreign exchange student and ended up doing peanut butter commercials and bacchanalian eating scenes for director Federico Fellini in his film “Fellini Satyricon.” He told the AP: “I was fat, had curly hair. The Italians thought I was hysterical. I was the life of the party.”

His life changed after getting an anonymous letter. “One dark, rainy day I went to my car and found a note. It said, ‘Dear Richard, you’re very funny, but fat people die young. Please don’t die.” He was so stunned that he went on the starvation diet that left him thin but very ill.

After the crash diet he gained back 65 pounds. Eventually, he was able to devise a sensible plan to take off the pounds and keep them off. “I went into the business because I couldn’t find anything I liked,” he said.

When Simmons hadn’t been seen in public for several years, some news outlets speculated that he was being held hostage in his own house. In telephone interviews with “Entertainment Tonight” and the “Today” show, Simmons refuted the claims and told his fans he was enjoying the time by himself. Filmmaker-writer Dan Taberski, one of his regular students, launched a podcast in 2017 called “Missing Richard Simmons.”

In 2022, Simmons broke his six-year silence, with his spokesperson telling the New York Post that the beloved fitness icon was “living the life he has chosen.”

One of the online tributes after Simmons’ passing was from actor-comedian Pauly Shore, who previously developed an unauthorized biopic of Simmons, which Simmons objected to at the time.

“I just got word like everyone else that the beautiful Richard Simmons has passed,” he began in an Instagram post. “I hope you’re at peace and twinkling up in the heavens,” adding “You’re one of a kind, Richard. An amazing life. An amazing story.”

___ Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

___

Associated Press writers Stefanie Dazio and Andrew Dalton contributed from Los Angeles.

Richard Simmons, a fitness guru who mixed laughs and sweat, dies at 76 (2024)

FAQs

What was the cause of death of Richard Simmons? ›

Los Angeles police and fire departments say they responded to a house — whose address the AP has matched with Simmons through public records — where a man was declared dead from natural causes.

Was Richard Simmons ever found? ›

Simmons died a day after his 76th birthday. His body was discovered by his housekeeper, who called the Los Angeles Police Department to his Hollywood Hills home, where Simmons is believed to have died of natural causes. Shortly before his death, Simmons thanked fans for wishing him a happy birthday.

What religion was Richard Simmons? ›

Simmons became a Catholic during his teens years attending New Orleans' Cor Jesu High School, now known as Brother Martin Catholic High School.

Where was Richard Simmons buried? ›

Simmons was buried at the Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary, according to a death certificate obtained by TMZ.

What health issues did Richard Simmons have? ›

TMZ was the first to report his death. It has also been reported by other outlets citing unnamed Simmons representatives. Simmons, who revealed a skin cancer diagnosis in March 2024, had lately dropped out of sight, sparking speculation about his health and well-being.

Why was Richard Simmons hospitalized? ›

Simmons' rep, Michael Catalano, told ET, “Richard Simmons was hospitalized on Monday at an undisclosed location in California. After a few days of battling severe indigestion and discomfort while eating, we agreed it was best for him to seek treatment.”

Did Richard Simmons have a twin brother? ›

Simmons had an older brother, Leonard Jr.

When was Richard Simmons last seen? ›

Last seen in public in 2014

Simmons had not been seen in public since 2014, NBC News reported. In 2016, he dispelled rumors that he was being held against his will in a phone interview with TODAY's Savannah Guthrie. “No one is holding me in my house as a hostage,” he said.

When was the last time Richard Simmons was on General Hospital? ›

Simmons got his big break in the entertainment industry appearing in General Hospital in 1979 as he played himself on the soap for four years. The fitness guru rejoined the soap one final time in 2013 for the 50th anniversary of the series, appearing in two episodes.

Did Richard Simmons wear a headband? ›

original sound - Kelly Manno. Wait until she finds out. Richard Simmons never wore a headband.

Is Richard Simmons his real name? ›

Born Milton Teagle Richard Simmons, in New Orleans, he described himself as a compulsive eater as a young boy. Others bullied and made fun of him because of his weight. “I grew up without any physical education,” he remembered on NPR's Tell Me More in 2008. “I was 200 pounds in the eighth grade.

Did Richard Simmons have knee surgery? ›

Simmons retreated from the public eye in 2014 after undergoing knee surgery but resurfaced years later to deny rumors about his health — including that he was transgender and undergoing gender-affirming surgery to live as a woman.

Was Richard Simmons married? ›

The couple met while both were at Columbia University, where Richard Simmons studied law. After they married in 1961, Mary Simmons worked as a public health nurse for the New York City Health Department and the Oyster Bay Visiting Nurse Association.

Where is Richard buried? ›

Where was Richard Simmons studio? ›

In 1974, Richard Simmons launched Slimmons Fitness; his exercise studio located in Beverly Hills, California. Within the following decade, Richard became famous for his Sweatin' to the Oldies aerobics videos.

Did Richard Simmons have any family? ›

Where did Richard Simmons live? ›

While he was famous, and lived in Beverly Hills, there are many who still remember him from his days growing up in the 900 block of St. Louis in the French Quarter.

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