Richard Simmons, fitness personality and TV presenter, dies at 76

CNN
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Richard Simmons, the eternal fitness star of the 1980s who was characterized by his infectious personality, has died, according to his longtime press agent Tom Estey.

Estey said Simmons died early Saturday morning, the day before he celebrated his 76th birthday.

CNN has reached out to Los Angeles County police, fire and medical examiner for further details.

From 1980 to 1984, Simmons hosted The Richard Simmons Show, which focused on personal health and fitness. The show won four Daytime Emmys.

Simmons was also known for his aerobics videos, including “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” in 1988 and the follow-up videos in 1990 and 1991.

From there, and thanks to his unflappable smile and playful personality, Simmons was able to parlay his early fame into regular appearances on everything from “The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson” to several game shows, including “Match Game” and “The New Hollywood Squares.” He was a regular on Jay Leno and David Letterman’s late-night shows in the ’90s and 2000s.

Simmons just celebrated his 76th birthday earlier this week.

“Thank you… I have never had so many messages on my birthday in my life!” Simmons wrote in a post shared on X on Friday. “I’m sitting here typing emails. Have a wonderful rest of your Friday. Love, Richard.”

He has withdrawn from public life in recent years, but the circumstances surrounding his whereabouts and well-being have been the subject of much discussion on the Internet.

Simmons occasionally posted personal updates on his social media pages. In a Facebook post in January, he wrote, “I’m just trying to live a quiet life and be peaceful.”

He recently spoke to People about his 76th birthday on Friday, where he joked he would celebrate by blowing out a birthday candle “on a zucchini,” a nod to his past as an advocate for good health and self-care.

“I feel good! I’m grateful to be here and to be alive for another day,” Simmons said at the time. “I’m going to spend my birthday doing what I do every day: helping people.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.