Richard Simmons, Celebrity Fitness Guru, Dies at 76

Richard Simmons

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Richard Simmons, the goofy clown prince of fitness who turned his passion for weight loss into riches and fame as a Hollywood celebrity, has died. He was 76.

A rep for Simmons told The Hollywood Reporter that he died earlier Saturday at his home in Los Angeles. His cause of death wasn’t immediately available.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that personnel responded to a 911 call from Simmons’ home on Belfast Drive and arrived there at 9:57 a.m. on Saturday. The spokesperson added that “an investigation is still being conducted.”

The star of his own syndicated TV exercise show in the 1980s, the curly-haired Simmons sold millions of aerobics “Sweatin‘ to the Oldies” videos and DVDs. 

At his peak, Simmons, who sported too-short shorts and a sparkly tank top with Swarovski crystals during his workouts, flew around the country making motivational speeches and conducting fitness classes for rapt fans.

In 1980, he published Richard Simmons’ Never-Say-Diet Book, a huge best-seller that had chapters like “Coming to Grips With Your Hips” and “How to Eat Out and Not Pig Out.”

Simmons went on to appear as himself on such series as Arrested Development, Amazing Stories, CHiPs, The Larry Sanders Show and General Hospital and was a frequent guest/foil on The Howard Stern Show and on David Letterman’s late night talk shows.

Later, he voiced the character Coach Salmons on the 2010-12 Disney Channel animated series Fish Hooks.

Simmons was born Milton Teagle Simmons in New Orleans on July 12, 1948, grew up in the French Quarter and sold pralines on the street. He was overweight as a kid and said he weighed nearly 270 pounds when he graduated high school.

After spending some time in Europe, he said that he found an anonymous note on the windshield of his car in 1968 that read: “Dear Richard: Fat people die young. Please don’t die.”

Simmons vowed to get in shape and, at 5-foot-7, got down to about 150 pounds. He headed west and brought his weight-loss message to Beverly Hills, opening a combination exercise studio (Anatomy Asylum) and restaurant (Ruffage) in 1974. His clientele included Barbra Streisand, Dustin Hoffman, Cheryl Ladd, Diana Ross and Paul Newman.

In November 2016, Simmons shuttered the studio, most recently called Slimmons. “The studio is where my whole career started,” he wrote on his website. “I began doing local shows in the city. And then I got my big break to play myself on General Hospital.”

Five months earlier, Simmons was transported from his home to a hospital by ambulance after the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a 911 call. He said later that he was dehydrated and told his fans not to worry about his health.

The New York Daily News reported in March 2016 that he was being held against his will in his home. But Simmons, who hadn’t been seen in public in about two years, denied that on the Today show. “No one is holding me in my house as a hostage,” he said.

In January, Simmons said he didn’t approve of a biopic of his life from The Wolper Organization that Pauly Shore would star in. “I have never given my permission for this movie,” he said.

“While we would love to have him involved,” the filmmakers behind the project noted then, “we respect his desire to privacy and plan to produce a movie that honors him, celebrates him and tells a dramatic story. We know he is deeply private, and we would never want to invade that. However, he is an amazing person that changed millions of people’s lives, and the effect he has had on the world needs to be recognized.”

On the eve of his death, Simmons was on Facebook, expressing his appreciation to fans for their birthday wishes. “Thank you … I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life!” he wrote. “I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday.”

Christy Piña contributed to this report.