The American pop culture icon reportedly died a day after his 76th birthday Fans and celebrities have shared tributes to fitness guru Richard Simmons, who died yesterday (July 13) – a day after his 76th birthday. Simmons first rose to fame in the 1970s with his vivacious and colourful exercise videos. Since then, he’s been enshrined in American pop culture as a flamboyant fitness personality, having opened gyms, promoted health products, and appeared in film and television as himself or in acting roles.
ABC News confirmed Simmons’ death via a representative after a 911 call was made by his housekeeper. In March, Simmons issued a letter to fans via X/Twitter – it began with “Please don’t be sad. I am .
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dying. Oh I can see your faces now. The truth is we all are dying.
Every day we live we are getting closer to our death.” He followed it up with a Facebook post on March 19, revealing to the public that he had been diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer. Per ABC News , Simmons appears to have died of natural causes.
Mere hours before his death, Simmons posted his final tweet, accompanied by a picture of himself dressed as Liza Minnelli: “Hello gorgeous! Please don’t rain on my parade.” Upon the news of his death, fans and celebrities took to social media to share their tributes to Simmons – many who celebrated his infectious and inclusive presence as a fitness personality, others who remember his wild and thoroughly candid television a.
