Fitness guru Richard Simmons, known for his humor and workouts, dies at 76

Richard Simmons, the vibrant and energetic fitness guru famous for his neon tank tops and short shorts, passed away on Saturday, just a day after his 76th birthday.

Los Angeles police and fire departments confirmed they responded to a residence where a man was declared dead from natural causes. Although they didn’t provide a name, The Associated Press confirmed the address and age matched Simmons’ information through public records.

TMZ first reported the news of his death, which has since been confirmed by multiple sources citing unspecified Simmons representatives.

Simmons had previously disclosed a skin diagnosis in March 2024 and had recently withdrawn from the public eye, triggering speculations about his health.

Once a 268-pound teenager, Simmons transformed his life and shared his weight-loss journey as the host of the Emmy-winning daytime show “Richard Simmons Show.” Besides hosting, he authored best-selling books and the diet plan “Deal-A-Meal,” opened exercise studios, and produced numerous exercise videos, including the popular “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” series.

“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 leveraged mass media to spread his message, even though his flamboyant style made him a frequent target for jokes. He appeared on TV shows hosted by Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas, and Phil Donahue. However, he often bore the brunt of pranks from David Letterman and was teased to the point of tears by Howard Stern. He was humorously portrayed in Neil Simon’s “The Goodbye Girl” on Broadway and by Eddie Murphy in “The Nutty Professor.”

When asked if being silly could motivate people, Simmons responded, “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… But in between that silliness is a lot of seriousness that makes sense.”

His daytime show reached audiences on 200 stations in the U.S., and it aired internationally in countries like Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. His debut book, “Never Say Diet,” became a best-seller.

Simmons was known for assisting severely obese individuals, including Rosalie Bradford, who held records as the world’s heaviest woman, and Michael Hebranko, who credited Simmons with helping him lose 700 pounds. He featured average people in his exercise videos to make fitness goals feel attainable.

Throughout his career, Simmons was a vocal critic of fad diets, always promoting balanced eating and exercise. “There’ll always be some weird thing… 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,” he told the AP in 2005 during the Atkins diet craze.

Simmons, a native of New Orleans, was born Milton Teagle Simmons. He adopted the name “Richard” around the age of 10 to boost his self-esteem. He struggled with his weight as a child, believing his parents favored his older brother. Teased by his peers, he reached nearly 200 pounds.

Growing up, his mother religiously watched Jack LaLanne’s TV show, although Simmons admitted he wasn’t fond of LaLanne’s fitness enthusiasm. “I hated him,” Simmons said. “I wasn’t ready for his message because he was fit… and I was none of those things.”

While studying in Italy, Simmons appeared in peanut butter commercials and even participated in eating scenes for Federico Fellini’s film “Fellini Satyricon.” Reflecting on his time in Italy, he recalled, “I was fat, had curly hair. The Italians thought I was hysterical.”

His transformative moment came from an anonymous letter found on a rainy day. The note read, “Dear Richard, you’re very funny, but fat people die young. Please don’t die.” This led him to a starvation diet that initially left him thin but subsequently very ill.

He regained 65 pounds after the crash diet but eventually created a balanced plan to lose and maintain a healthy weight. “I went into the business because I couldn’t find anything I liked,” he said.

As he remained out of the public eye for several years, media speculated that he was being held captive in his home. However, in interviews with “Entertainment Tonight” and the “Today” show, Simmons denied these claims, stating he was enjoying solitude. His former student, Dan Taberski, even 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 fitness icon was “living the life he has chosen.”

Source: Associated Press, TMZ