Richard Simmons, the long-lasting health guru who helped thousands and thousands get into form, has died on the age of 76.
As reported by THR, Simmons’ rep shared that he handed away at his residence in Los Angeles on Saturday, July 13, which additionally occurred to be someday after his birthday. Simmons even posted a message on his huge day thanking everybody for the properly needs.
“Thank you… I by no means bought so many messages about my birthday in my life,” Simmons mentioned. “I’m sitting right here writing emails. Have a most stunning remainder of your Friday. Love, Richard.”
Richard’s brother, Lenny, wrote a number of phrases for the health icon and urged his followers to have fun his life.
“I don’t need individuals to be unhappy about my brother,” Lenny Simmons wrote.” I would like them to recollect him for the real pleasure and love he delivered to individuals’s lives. He really cared about individuals. He referred to as, wrote, and emailed 1000’s of individuals all through his profession to supply assist. So don’t be unhappy. Celebrate his life.”
Richard Simmons was born Milton Teagle Simmons on July 12, 1948, in New Orleans and was obese as a baby. He weighed almost 270 kilos when he graduated highschool and would shortly after that make a journey to Europe that may set him on a path to stardom.
During this journey in 1968, he remembers that he discovered a be aware from an nameless particular person on his automotive that mentioned: “Dear Richard: Fat individuals die younger. Please do not die.”
He took that be aware to coronary heart and bought his weight all the way down to 150 and wished to share his journey with the world. He opened an train studio referred to as Anatomy Asylum and a restaurant referred to as Ruffage in 1974 and it took Beverly Hills by storm. It turned so fashionable that a few of his purchasers included Barbara Streisand, Dustin Hoffman, Cheryl Ladd, Diana Ross, and Paul Newman.
Simmons was additionally big on this planet of media, starting with the truth present Real People that spotlighted his studio. He would go on to look as a recurring visitor in General Hospital, host Slim Cookin and the Emmy Award-winning speak present The Richard Simmons Show, and play himself in such reveals as Arrested Development, Amazing Stories, CHiPs, The Larry Sanders Show, and extra.
RIP Richard Simmons
The Animated World cherished you simply as a lot because the world did. You had been one in every of a sort and might be dearly missed. pic.twitter.com/uUyyD6oHtb
— TRAFON(s Backup Account) (@RiseFallNickBck) July 13, 2024
He could be the most well-known, nonetheless, for his Sweatin’ to the Oldies sequence, which was his hottest line of health movies.
While Simmons was beloved around the globe, he started to withdraw from the general public eye in 2014. He would then shut his health studio in 2016 and rumors started to flow into that he was being held hostage by his housekeeper. He denied these rumors on The Today Show.
In January 2024, Simmons spoke out in opposition to the biopic of his life from The Wolper Organization that may star Pauly Shore, saying he has “by no means given my permission for this film.”
“While we might like to have him concerned,” the filmmakers behind the challenge mentioned earlier this 12 months, “we respect his want to privateness and plan to supply a film that honors him, celebrates him and tells a dramatic story. We know he’s deeply non-public, and we might by no means need to invade that. However, he’s a tremendous person who modified thousands and thousands of individuals’s lives, and the impact he has had on the world must be acknowledged.”
I simply bought phrase like everybody else that the attractive Richard Simmons has handed. I hope you’re at peace and twinkling up within the heavens. Please give my mom Mitzi and my father Sammy a giant hug and a kiss for me. You’re one in every of a sort, Richard. An wonderful life. An wonderful story.… pic.twitter.com/gM1650BWnK
— Pauly Shore (@PaulyShore) July 13, 2024
Have a tip for us? Want to debate a potential story? Please ship an e mail to newstips@ign.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a author for IGN. You can comply with him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.
