Richard Simmons Dead at 76

Fitness icon Richard Simmons has died at the age of 76, according to TMZ.

The media outlet noted that they were told by law enforcement that Simmons’ housekeeper called the authorities for assistance shortly before 10 a.m. on July 13. When fire and police arrived at Simmons’ home, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

TMZ indicates that authorities believe Simmons’ death was due to natural causes. No foul play is suspected.

Simmons’ death comes just a day after his 76th birthday, notes Page Six. In his last Facebook post, Simmons thanked all of his fans for the birthday wishes. He gushed, “I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life!”

On July 9, Richard shared on Facebook, “Getting closer to telling my story in my own words. I’m so excited!” Nearly 500 people commented on the post, excited to hear his story on his own terms.

Richard Simmons Had Low-Key Plans for Celebrating His Birthday

Simmons spoke with People just before his birthday and death. He joked he would blow out a candle for his birthday, and quipped, “but the candle will probably be on a zucchini.” He explained, “You know, I’m a vegetarian.”

Ahead of his birthday, Simmons told the outlet, “I feel good! I am grateful that I’m here, that I am alive for another day. I’ll spend my birthday doing what I do every day, which is to help people.”

He also jokingly admitted he might do more than have a candle on zucchini for his birthday. “Okay, fine. Maybe one Pepperidge Farm Milano cookie. But just one.”

Simmons Recently Shared He’d Had a Health Scare

In March, Simmons opened up on Facebook about a health scare he had experienced. He explained he found a “strange looking bump under my right eye” and decided he needed to call a dermatologist.

Simmons revealed during the visit with his dermatologist, “He comes back about 20 minutes later and says the C word. You have cancer.”

The doctor told Simmons he had basil cell carcinoma. His reaction was to tell the doctor, “stop calling me dirty names,” prompting the doctor to laugh.

The iconic fitness instructor subsequently reached out to an English doctor to have the cancer cells removed. “As he started burning my skin a tear dropped down my cheek. ‘You can’t cry during this’ and he wiped my tear,” Simmons recalled.

“After driving around the city, I went back to some sad news. I didn’t get it all out He burned my face again. This time was worse than before…It was deeper,” Simmons shared of the experience.

He continued, “I did not cry this time but I did grit my teeth. ‘Come back in another hour and a half.’ …to be continued…”

Simmons received over 900 comments of support and 7,000 reactions to his post with fans sending him their love.

The following day, Simmons continued sharing his story in an additional Facebook post. He revealed “the third time was a charm” and the doctor removed all of the cancer cells.

He noted that then the doctor closely examined the rest of Simmons’ body to ensure there were no additional concerning spots. The fitness icon wrote, “My cancer was nothing compared to some people that I knew.”

Separately, Simmons noted on Facebook the cancer scare “Happened so many years ago.” He explained, “The reason I wrote these two messages is that if you see a spot on your body please go to your doctor…so they can diagnose it right away.”

Simmons added, “I guess I should be more careful about what I write about.” His post was shared with love, in an effort to help others, although it confused and alarmed some of his fans.

Stacy Carey has been a freelance writer focusing on reality television and celebrity news for more than a decade. She is a Heavy contributor for The Bachelor, Hallmark and Dancing With the Stars. More about Stacy Carey