Richard Simmons, fitness icon, dies at 76

Richard Simmons, the fitness instructor and media personality who rose to prominence in the 1980s, has died. He was 76.

The Richard Simmons Show host died at his home in Los Angeles on Saturday, his longtime publicist, Tom Estey, confirmed to Entertainment Weekly.

“The world lost an angel today,” he said.

The Los Angeles Police Department responded to Simmons’ home and pronounced him dead at the scene after receiving a 911 call from his housekeeper, law enforcement sources told ABC News. They also told the outlet that Simmons seemed to have died from “natural causes” and that no foul play is suspected. TMZ was the first to report the news.

Simmons’ brother Lenny Simmons shared a statement with EW reflecting on the fitness instructor’s life and legacy. “I don’t want people to be sad about my brother,” he said. “I want them to remember him for the genuine joy and love he brought to people’s lives. He truly cared about people. He called, wrote, and emailed thousands of people throughout his career to offer help. So don’t be sad. Celebrate his life. He was very excited about all of his upcoming ventures he was working on.”

Lenny additionally asked that fans respect the family and their privacy at this difficult time, 

Simmons had just celebrated his 76th birthday on Friday.

“Thank you…I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life!” he wrote on Facebook yesterday. “I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday.”

The fitness instructor reflected on his birthday in a PEOPLE interview published on Friday. “I am grateful that I’m here, that I am alive for another day,” he said. “I’ll spend my birthday doing what I do every day, which is to help people.”

Simmons was best known for his energetic, eccentric persona, which was on full display in his workout videos and during his countless media appearances on shows like General Hospital, The Late Show With David Letterman, and The Howard Stern Show, as well as on his own fitness talk show, The Richard Simmons Show.

Born Milton Teagle Simmons in New Orleans in 1948, Simmons graduated from Florida State University with a B.A. in art. His earliest on-camera appearances were background roles in Federico Fellini’s films Satyricon and The Clowns.

Simmons moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s and became interested in fitness, particularly as a method for weight loss. He opened his own fitness studio, ​​Anatomy Asylum (later renamed Slimmons), in Beverly Hills, with an emphasis on helping fitness newcomers gain an interest in exercise in a supportive environment. His attention to non-fit clients was unusual at the time, as existing fitness programs were primarily tailored to experienced exercisers.

Simmons’ studio was featured in an episode of the NBC reality series Real People, which led to dozens of other media appearances. He notably played himself on General Hospital in several episodes in the 1980s. He also hosted his own talk show, The Richard Simmons Show, which won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk or Service Series, during the same period. Simmons also produced more than 60 workout videos so that fitness enthusiasts old and new could participate in his programs at home.

Simmons was a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show and both of David Letterman’s late-night shows. He also appeared on numerous game shows and played versions of himself in series like Rocko’s Modern Life, CHiPs, Fish Hooks, and many more.

In the 2010s, Simmons retreated from the public eye, giving only occasional updates on his social media pages. Public interest surrounding his decision to step away from the spotlight intensified following the release of the podcast Missing Richard Simmons in 2017. However, Estey told PEOPLE at the time that Simmons chose not to be involved in the series because “if there was a reason for us to comment or to cooperate, then we would certainly have done it, but we just didn’t feel the need.”

He added, “He made a choice to take a break from public life, which he has the right to do.”

Pauly Shore portrayed the fitness personality in the short film The Court Jester and an upcoming biopic Sweatin’ to the Oldies, though Simmons said he was not involved in the project.

“You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore. I have never given my permission for this movie. So don’t believe everything you read,” he wrote on Facebook in January.

“I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful,” he added. “Thank you for all your love and support.”