Richard Simmons, fitness personality and TV host, dead at 76

By Dan Heching and Zoe Sottile, CNN

(CNN) — Richard Simmons, the perennial 1980s workout personality who was defined by his uplifting spirit, has died, according to his longtime publicist Tom Estey.

Estey said Simmons died early on Saturday morning. He had celebrated his 76th birthday the day before.

CNN has reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department, Fire Department and LA County Medical Examiner for additional details.

From 1980 to 1984, Simmons hosted the “Richard Simmons Show,” which had a focus on personal health and fitness. The program won four Daytime Emmys.

Simmons was also well known for his aerobic exercise videos, including 1988’s “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” and its subsequent installments in 1990 and 1991.

From there, and thanks to his unflappable smile and playful personality, Simmons was able to leverage his early stardom into regular appearances on all manner of TV shows, from “The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson” to several game shows including “Match Game” and “The New Hollywood Squares.” He was a late night fixture throughout the ’90s and aughts on shows hosted by Jay Leno and David Letterman.

Simmons just celebrated his 76th birthday earlier this week.

“Thank you…I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life!,” Simmons wrote in a post shared on X on Friday. “I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday. Love, Richard.”

He has remained out of the public eye in recent years, but the circumstances surrounding his whereabouts and wellbeing have provided a fair share of internet fodder.

On occasion, Simmons shared personal updates on his social media pages, writing in a January Facebook post, “I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful.”

Just recently, he spoke to People on the occasion of his 76th birthday on Friday. He joked that he was going to celebrate by blowing out a birthday candle “on a zucchini” in a nod to his history as a proponent of good health and self care.

“I feel good! I am grateful that I’m here, that I am alive for another day,” Simmons said at the time. “I’ll spend my birthday doing what I do every day, which is to help people.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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