Tragic New Details Emerge About Richard Simmons’ Death

The fitness guru Richard Simmons died on Saturday just one day after his 76th birthday. Now, tragic new details are emerging about his death.

Simmons Found Dead

Simmons reportedly fell in his bathroom on Friday night. He was found by his housekeeper, who helped him up and begged him to go see a doctor. However, Simmons reportedly refused medical attention because he wanted to stay home for his birthday.

Before he fell, Simmons had been feeling dizzy. Despite this, he was determined to stay home for his birthday, telling his housekeeper that he’d consider going to the hospital on Saturday. After their exchange, his housekeeper helped him back to bed.

The next morning, she found Simmons unresponsive on the floor next to his bed at around 10am. The fitness icon was pronounced dead at the scene, and police found no signs of foul play. Officials are still waiting for the results of toxicology reports for Simmons to determine his cause of death.

One source claimed that after the fall, Simmons didn’t have any bumps or bruises. It remains unclear at this time what caused the dizziness, or if this led to his death.

“The world has truly lost an angel,” Simmons’ publicist Tom Estey told People Magazine after his passing.

Related: Richard Simmons: People ‘Make Fun of Me’ But ‘I Am Glad To Be Me’

Simmons’ Final Interview

Just one day before Simmons death, a rare interview with him was published by People Magazine.

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

Simmons added that while he planned to blow out a birthday candle, it would “probably be on a zucchini.”

Simmons had been a recluse during the final years of his life. In his last interview, however, he made it clear that he was aware of just how loved he was.

“I know people miss me. And you know what? I miss them, too,” he said. “But I’m able to reach them through phone calls… and through emails. And I do leave the house sometimes. But I’m in disguise.”

Check out Simmons in happier days in the video below.

Related: Richard Simmons Reemerges To Plan Broadway Show With a Special Twist

Simmons’ Last Social Media Posts

Simmons was active on social media only a few hours before he was found dead. Just before 8am on Saturday morning, he posted to Facebook for the last time.

“Hello gorgeous! Please don’t rain on my parade,” he wrote alongside a photo of himself seemingly in drag. The quote is from the 1968 musical Funny Girl, which starred Barbra Streisand and won her the Oscar for Best Actress.

The day before that, Simmons thanked fans for sending him love on his birthday.

“Thank you…I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life!” he wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday.”

Simmons was a true icon, and there will never be another one like him. Though the details surrounding his death continue to be perplexing, it’s nice to see that Simmons seemed to be in such good spirits before his passing.