Jane Fonda Pays Tribute to Richard Simmons After His Death: ‘I Hope He Felt the Love’

Jane Fonda is paying tribute to her friend and collaborator, Richard Simmons, after his passing.

On Sunday, the legendary 86-year-old actress honored Simmons, following the confirmation of his death. The beloved fitness instructor, a pivotal figure in the video workout movement, died at the age of 76.

In an Instagram post shared with over 2 million followers, the Hollywood icon and political activist remembered Simmons. Fonda included a touching picture of her and Simmons from a recent interaction.

“Richard Simmons always wanted people to feel good and be happy. He would go out of his way to make people happy. I often wondered if maybe nobody had made him happy when he was a little boy,” Fonda began her heartfelt tribute.

The “Grace and Frankie” star continued, “He was generous. He gave of himself, of his time, to make people happy. He once popped out of a huge cake at the launch of some Jane Fonda WORKOUT event. That was generous.”

She recounted, “He found out I was in a store where he was so he quickly bought some small trinket and ran across the store, shouting at the top of his lungs in that unmistakable voice, to let me know he was coming. That was generous.”

Fonda reflected on their long history and the last time she saw the memorable fitness guru. She expressed that she now joins the millions of fans who mourn his loss and cherish his memory.

“I saw him last when I took him and a boyfriend of his to lunch at the Polo Lounge. The relationship was new and he was proud. I never saw or heard from him again and, like many thousands of others, I’ve mourned his absence from my life,” she shared.

Back in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fonda and Simmons teamed up to help people stuck indoors during quarantine get a workout in, launching an online workout series. The pair had previously collaborated on workout videos throughout their careers as fitness instructors.

Fonda concluded her post by acknowledging their longtime relationship and wishing Simmons well, thanking him for his years of friendship.

“I hope he felt the love so many were sending him these last years. I hope it made him happy. I read he died peacefully in his sleep in his very white home. Rest in Peace, Dear Richard,” she wrote.

Following Simmons’ death, tributes poured in from other friends and notable figures, including Pauly Shore, who is set to portray Simmons in an upcoming biopic. Despite previous disagreements over the film, Shore, 56, also paid tribute to Simmons.

“I just got word like everyone else that the beautiful Richard Simmons has passed. I hope you’re at peace and twinkling up in the heavens,” he wrote in a post featuring a photo of Simmons. “Please give my mother Mitzi and my father Sammy a big hug and kiss for me. You’re one of a kind, Richard. An amazing life. An amazing story. They broke the dolphin shorts when they made you. Rest in peace, my friend. Rest in peace.”

Source: ET, Instagram