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Fans and friends of Richard Simmons pay tribute to legendary television aptitude instructor after his death at the age of 76.
The Beloved Fitness Guru died at home July 13th. TMZ On Saturday, Simmons’ housekeeper contacted police around 10 a.m. Simmons was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death was not immediately known and has not been released.
The television personality, who rose to fame through her popular series of aerobics videos, Sweating to the rhythm of the Oldies – celebrated her 76th birthday on Friday by thanking her fans on social media. “Thank you… I have never received so many messages about my birthday in my entire life! I am sitting here writing emails. Have a wonderful rest of your Friday,” she added. job read. “With love, Richard.”
Following the news of his passing, many of Simmons’ fans and friends took to social media to pay tribute to the fitness guru.
“Richard Simmons preached exercise, diet and, above all, kindness,” said Richard Roeper, film and television critic for the The Chicago Sun-Timeson X. “He had a positive impact on thousands and thousands of lives. I am one of the hundreds and hundreds of people in television who soaked up his energy and accepted those crazy hugs without hesitation. Rest in peace.”
Hairspray star Ricki Lake posted a photo of herself with Simmons and fellow talk show host Maria Menounos, with the caption: “My heart is broken for the loss of this super special human being. May he rest in peace. #richardsimmons. I loved him so much.”
TV and radio personality Sally Jessy Raphael paid tribute to her “dear friend” on X, captioning a photo of them together: “I am completely devastated by the loss of @theweightsaint… we did so many shows together, shared so many laughs and hugs, and I considered him a dear friend who changed so many lives over the years.”
Actor Emerson Collins published on X: “I am saddened to learn of the passing of Richard Simmons, a man whose joy in what he did made him accessible to so many.”
“A few years ago I asked him for a photo after we performed at a benefit concert. It looked so hilarious with the green room wall that I cut it out and made a ridiculous story out of it,” he captioned a funny series of green screen photos of himself and Simmons.
Darren Demeterio, who worked as a former booker for the Late Show with David Lettermanreached out to X to share his own experience with Simmons during his many appearances on the late-night talk show.
“When I was working at Letterman “I was always looking forward to Richard Simmons coming,” he captioned a throwback post. photo of himself with Simmons. “He was always a great guest, but more than that, it was always what you saw. A sweet, positive, kind man. That picture will always make me laugh. Thank you Richard, rest in peace.”
Simmons became a fitness sensation in the 1980s, shortly after opening a fitness studio, called The Anatomy Asylum before it was renamed Slimmons, in Los Angeles. He has made many memorable appearances on television and radio shows, including Late Show with David Letterman, The Howard Stern Show, General Hospital, The Larry Sanders Show, Arrested Development And Who owns this line?.
However, it was his series of high-energy aerobics videos that propelled Simmons to stardom.
Simmons had not made a public appearance since 2014, prompting him to give a phone interview to Today in 2016 to end rumors that he was being held hostage by his housekeeper.
News of his death comes months after Simmons revealed that he was diagnosed with skin cancer.
“I sat in his chair and he looked at it through a magnifying mirror. He told me he should scrape it off and put it under the microscope. Now I’m starting to get a little nervous,” the fitness personality wrote on Facebook in March. “He comes back about 20 minutes later and says the C-word. ‘You have cancer.’ I asked him what kind of cancer it was and he said, ‘Basel [sic] “I told him to stop insulting me. He laughed.”
Earlier this year, Simmons denounced a new biopic about his life with comedian Pauly Shore. He clarified that he had not agreed to the project and reiterated his desire to “live a quiet life and be at peace.”