Fans and Celebrities Honor Beloved TV Fitness Icon

Fans and friends of Richard Simmons are paying tribute to the legendary TV fitness instructor after his death at age 76.

The beloved fitness guru died at his home on July 13. Reports indicate that his housekeeper contacted police around 10 a.m. Simmons was pronounced dead at the scene. Currently, the cause of death remains unknown.

Richard Simmons, who rose to fame through his popular aerobic video series “Sweatin’ to the Oldies,” had just celebrated his 76th birthday the day before, thanking fans on social media. “Thank you… I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life! I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday,” he posted. “Love, Richard.”

Following the announcement of his passing, many took to social media to honor Simmons’ legacy.

“Richard Simmons preached exercise, diet, and most of all kindness,” shared Richard Roeper, a film and TV critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, on X. “He positively impacted thousands of lives. I’m one of the many TV people who basked in his energy and readily accepted those crazy hugs. Rest well.”

“Hairspray” star Ricki Lake shared a photo of herself with Simmons and fellow TV show host Maria Menounos, writing: “My heart is broken with the loss of this super special human. May he RIP. #richardsimmons. I loved him so, so much.”

Television and radio personality Sally Jessy Raphael expressed her sorrow on X, captioning a photo of them together: “I am completely devastated at the loss of @theweightsaint… we’ve done so many shows together, shared so many laughs and hugs, and I considered him a dear friend who changed so many lives over the years.”

Actor Emerson Collins posted on X: “Saddened to hear of Richard Simmons’ passing, a man whose joy in what he did made it accessible to so many.”

He added a humorous anecdote and series of photos: “Years ago I asked him for a photo after we performed at a benefit. It came out hilariously bad with the green room wall, so I cut it out and made a nonsense story with it.”

Darren Demeterio, a former booker for the “Late Show with David Letterman,” recalled his experience with Simmons during his many appearances on the show. He shared a throwback photo and wrote, “When I worked at Letterman, I always looked forward to when Richard Simmons would come on. Always a great guest but more than that, always what you saw was what you got. A sweet, positive, kind man. This picture will always make me laugh. Thanks Richard, Rest in Peace.”

Simmons became a fitness icon in the 1980s, initially launching his career with a fitness studio, the Anatomy Asylum, later rebranded as Slimmons, in Los Angeles. He made numerous memorable TV and radio appearances, becoming a household name through shows like “Late Show with David Letterman,” “The Howard Stern Show,” “General Hospital,” “The Larry Sanders Show,” “Arrested Development,” and “Whose Line Is It Anyway.”

It was, however, his high-energy aerobic videos that catapulted him to celebrity status.

Simmons hadn’t made a public appearance since 2014, which led to widespread rumors and speculation. In a phone interview with “Today” in 2016, he addressed rumors that his housekeeper was holding him hostage, aiming to put the issue to rest.

The news of his death comes shortly after Simmons revealed he had been diagnosed with skin cancer. In a Facebook post from March, he shared his experience: “I sat in his chair and he looked at it through a magnifying mirror. He told me he would have to scrape it and put it under the microscope. Now I am getting a little bit nervous,” the fitness personality wrote. “He comes back about 20 minutes later and says the C word. ‘You have cancer.’ I asked him what kind of cancer and he said, ‘Basel [sic] cell carcinoma.’ I told him to stop calling me dirty names. He laughed.”

Earlier this year, Simmons also denounced a new biopic about his life starring comedian Pauly Shore. He clarified that he had not signed off on the project and reiterated his desire to “live a quiet life and be peaceful.”

Source: TMZ, Chicago Sun-Times, X