Fitness guru Richard Simmons , known for his positive outlook and bestselling exercise videotapes, has died at age 76, his representative told ABC News. The Los Angeles Police Department responded to a 911 call from his housekeeper and found Simmons dead, according to ABC News, citing unnamed sources. In his career, Simmons sold more than 20 million fitness VHS tapes and DVDs, including the iconic “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” series.
His series was famous for featuring so-called “real people” over athletic models, promoting the idea that exercise was for everyone. In 2010, he claimed that he helped his followers lose 12 million pounds . He continued to teach regular classes at his Los Angeles-based studio, Slimmons, despite his heightened fame, until he abruptly stopped in 2014.
The popular podcast “ Missing Richard Simmons ,” released by Dan Taberski in February 2017, once again put the spotlight on the reclusive star and his wellness. The Los Angeles Police Department visited Simmons’ home due to the renewed frenzy, reporting that he was “ perfectly fine .” Some criticized the podcast for invading Simmons’ privacy and creating an unfair expectation that the fitness legend owed the public an explanation of his whereabouts.
Simmons later sent a message to fans after a brief hospitalization for “severe indigestion” in April 2017, thanking them for their concern. As interest in home workouts soaring during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Simmon.
