Richard Simmons, fitness icon, dies at 76

Richard Simmons, the fitness instructor and media personality who rose to prominence in the 1980s, has died. He was 76.

His longtime publicist, Tom Estey, confirmed the news to PEOPLE.

The Los Angeles Police Department responded to Simmons’ home after receiving a 911 call from his housekeeper and arrived to find him dead, police sources told ABC News. They told the outlet that Simmons seemed to have died from “natural causes,” and that no foul play is suspected. 

The Richard Simmons Show host had celebrated his 76th birthday on Friday.

Representatives for Simmons who did not immediately respond to Entertainment Weekly.

Simmons was best known for his energetic, eccentric persona, on full display in his workout videos and during his countless media appearances on shows like General Hospital, The Late Show With David Letterman, and The Howard Stern Show, as well as on his own fitness talk show, The Richard Simmons Show.

Born Milton Teagle Simmons in New Orleans in 1948, Simmons graduated from Florida State University with a B.A. in art. His earliest on-camera appearances were background roles in Federico Fellini’s films Satyricon and The Clowns.

Simmons moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s and became interested in fitness, particularly as a method for weight loss. He opened his own fitness studio, ​​Anatomy Asylum (later renamed Slimmons), in Beverly Hills, with an emphasis on helping fitness newcomers gain an interest in exercise in a supportive environment. His attention to non-fit clients was unusual at the time, as existing fitness programs were primarily tailored to experienced exercisers.

Simmons’ studio was featured in an episode of the NBC reality series Real People, which led to dozens of other media appearances. He notably played himself on General Hospital in several episodes in the 1980s. He also hosted his own talk show, The Richard Simmons Show, which won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk or Service Series, during the same period. Simmons also produced more than 60 workout videos so that fitness enthusiasts old and new could participate in his programs at home.

Simmons was a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show and both of David Letterman’s talk shows. He also appeared on numerous game shows and played versions of himself in series like Rocko’s Modern Life, CHiPs, Fish Hooks, and many more.

In the 2010s, Simmons retreated from the public eye, only making occasional updates on his social media pages. Pauly Shore portrayed the fitness personality in the short film The Court Jester and an upcoming biopic Sweatin’ to the Oldies, though Simmons said he was not involved in the project.

“You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore. I have never given my permission for this movie. So don’t believe everything you read,” he wrote on Facebook in January. “I no longer have a manager, and I no longer have a publicist. I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful. Thank you for all your love and support.”