Fitness guru Richard Simmons dies at 76

Eccentric fitness guru Richard Simmons, known for his relentless positivity, has died, according to his representative.

Simmons just celebrated his 76th birthday on Friday.

Los Angeles police rushed to his home after a 911 call from his housekeeper and found Simmons dead, police said. He appears to have died of natural causes and no foul play is suspected, the sources said.

Simmons shocked his fans just three months ago when he posted on Facebook in March that he was dying. He wrote: “I have news to share. Please don’t be sad. I’m… dying. Oh, I can see your faces now. The truth is we all die. With every day we live, we get closer to our deaths.”

He later clarified that he was not really dying, but that the message was to encourage everyone to “enjoy every day we have.”

Simmons has been out of the public eye of late, although there were reports earlier this year that a biopic was being made about the fitness enthusiast. Simmons criticized the reports, writing, “Don’t believe everything you read. I no longer have a manager or a PR agent. I’m just trying to live a quiet life and be peaceful.”

Simmons posted a lot on social media, often multiple times a day. The day before his death, he posted on Facebook about his birthday, writing, “Thank you… I’ve never had so many messages on my birthday in my entire life! I’m sitting here writing emails. Have a wonderful rest of your Friday.”

In March, he told his fans that he had undergone skin cancer removal on his face, but that he was now doing well.

“I know some of you reading this have had cancer or know someone in your life who has had cancer,” he wrote. “Promise me you will see your doctor and get a thorough checkup.”

He was born Milton Teagle Simmons in New Orleans on July 12, 1948, but adopted the name Richard during his childhood.

Simmons has often spoken about being overweight as a child, which led him to lose weight and pursue a career in fitness in the 1970s and 1980s. His first foray into weight loss came with the opening of his gym, Slimmons, in Beverly Hills, California.

He published his first book, “Never Say Diet,” in 1980. It was the first of twelve books he published throughout his career.

His fitness video series enjoyed enormous popularity in the 1980s, parallel to a nationwide fitness craze that also saw the growing popularity of aerobics and Jazzercise. His videos, including the “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” series, became some of the most popular videos of the era.

Simmons also made regular appearances on television, including on talk shows from the “Late Show with David Letterman” to the “Rosie O’Donnell Show.” He also had a series regular role on the soap opera “General Hospital” and guest-starred as himself on shows such as “Arrested Development” and “The Larry Sanders Show.”

From 1980 to 1984, he also hosted his own talk and fitness show, “The Richard Simmons Show.” The show won four Daytime Emmy Awards.

ABC News’ Bonnie McLean contributed to this report.