Fitness guru Richard Simmons shared a poignant quote from the 1964 musical Funny Girl just hours before his death at the age of 76. Simmons, who built a fitness empire encouraging people to exercise and eat healthily, passed away from natural causes at his home in southern California on Saturday – one day after his 76th birthday.
Known for his flamboyant tank tops and short shorts, Richard’s final social media post came shortly before his passing. On the day of his death, Simmons posted a photo with the caption ‘Hello gorgeous! Please don’t rain on my parade’ – a line from Funny Girl – at 3:53pm on July 13.
Reacting to the post, one follower wrote: “Yikes! 5 hrs ago posting messages & gone just like that. You seriously never know.”
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Another commented: “Umm, this is haunting if this post was shortly before you passed. Rest in peace.”
A third said: “Wow…he’d have to have gone shortly after posting this.” While another speculated: “Maybe this post was his way of saying goodbye?”
Simmons’ publicist, Tom Estey, confirmed his death in an email to The Associated Press but did not provide further details. The Los Angeles police and fire departments responded to a house, whose address matched Simmons’ through public records, where a man was declared dead from natural causes.
Richard Simmons, who disclosed a skin condition diagnosis in March 2024, had recently vanished from the public eye, leading to speculation about his health. TMZ was the first to report his passing.