Richard Simmons, television害羞草研究所檚 hyperactive court jester of physical fitness who built a mini-empire in his trademark tank tops and short shorts by urging the overweight to exercise and eat better, died Saturday. He turned 76 on Friday.
Los Angeles police and fire departments say they responded to a Los Angeles house where a man was declared dead from natural causes. Neither provided a name, but The Associated Press matched the address and age to Simmons through public records.
TMZ was first to report his death, which has also been reported by other outlets citing unnamed Simmons representatives.
Simmons, who had revealed a skin diagnosis in March 2024, had lately dropped out of sight, sparking speculating about his health and well-being.
Simmons was a former 268-pound teen who shared his hard-won weight-loss tips as host of the Emmy-winning daytime 害羞草研究所淩ichard Simmons Show,害羞草研究所� author of best-selling books and the diet plan Deal-A-Meal, as well as opening exercise studios and starring in millions of exercise videos, including the successful 害羞草研究所淪weatin害羞草研究所� to the Oldies害羞草研究所� line.
害羞草研究所淢y food plan and diet are just two words 害羞草研究所� common sense. With a dash of good humor,害羞草研究所� he told The Associated Press in 1982. 害羞草研究所淚 want to help people and make the world a healthier, happy place.害羞草研究所�
Simmons embraced mass communication to get his message out, even as he eventually became the butt of jokes for his outfits and flamboyant flair. He was a guest on TV shows led by Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas and Phil Donahue. But David Letterman would prank him and Howard Stern would tease him until he cried. He was mocked in Neil Simon害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淭he Goodbye Girl害羞草研究所� on Broadway in 1993, and Eddie Murphy put on white makeup and dressed like him in 害羞草研究所淭he Nutty Professor,害羞草研究所� screaming 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 a pony!害羞草研究所�
Asked if he thought he could motivate people by being silly, Simmons answered, 害羞草研究所淚 think there害羞草研究所檚 a time to be serious and a time to be silly. It害羞草研究所檚 knowing when to do it. I try to have a nice combination. Being silly cures depression. It catches people off guard and makes them think. But in between that silliness is a lot of seriousness that makes sense. It害羞草研究所檚 a different kind of training.害羞草研究所�
Simmons害羞草研究所� daytime show was seen on 200 stations in America, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan and South America. His first book, 害羞草研究所淣ever Say Diet,害羞草研究所� was a smash best seller.
He was known to counsel the severely obese, including Rosalie Bradford, who held records for being the world害羞草研究所檚 heaviest woman, and Michael Hebranko, who credited Simmons for helping him lose 700 pounds. Simmons put real people 害羞草研究所� chubby, balding or non-telegenic 害羞草研究所� in his exercise videos to make the fitness goals seem reachable.
Throughout his career, Simmons was a reliable critic of fad diets, always emphasizing healthy eating and exercise plans. 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檒l always be some weird thing about eating four grapes before you go to bed, or drinking a special tea, or buying this little bean from El Salvador,害羞草研究所� he told the AP in 2005 as the Atkins diet craze swept the country. 害羞草研究所淚f you watch your portions and you have a good attitude and you work out every day you害羞草研究所檒l live longer, feel better and look terrific.害羞草研究所�
Simmons was a native of New Orleans, a chubby boy named Milton by his parents. (He renamed himself 害羞草研究所淩ichard害羞草研究所� around the age of 10 to improve his self-image). He would tell people he ate to excess because he believed his parents liked his older brother more. He was teased by schoolmates and ballooned to almost 200 pounds.
Simmons told the AP his mother watched exercise guru Jack LaLanne害羞草研究所檚 TV show religiously when he was growing up, but he wasn害羞草研究所檛 crazy about the fitness fanatic. 害羞草研究所淚 hated him,害羞草研究所� Simmons said. 害羞草研究所淚 wasn害羞草研究所檛 ready for his message because he was fit and he was healthy and he had such a positive attitude, and I was none of those things.害羞草研究所�
Simmons went to Italy as a foreign exchange student and ended up doing peanut butter commercials and bacchanalian eating scenes for director Federico Fellini in his film 害羞草研究所淔ellini Satyricon.害羞草研究所� He told the AP: 害羞草研究所淚 was fat, had curly hair. The Italians thought I was hysterical. I was the life of the party.害羞草研究所�
His life changed after getting an anonymous letter. 害羞草研究所淥ne dark, rainy day I went to my car and found a note. It said, 害羞草研究所楧ear Richard, you害羞草研究所檙e very funny, but fat people die young. Please don害羞草研究所檛 die.害羞草研究所� He was so stunned that he went on the starvation diet that left him thin but very ill.
After the crash diet he gained back 65 pounds. Eventually, he was able to devise a sensible plan to take off the pounds and keep them off. 害羞草研究所淚 went into the business because I couldn害羞草研究所檛 find anything I liked,害羞草研究所� he said.
When Simmons hadn害羞草研究所檛 been seen in public for several years, some news outlets speculated that he was being held hostage in his own house. In telephone interviews with 害羞草研究所淓ntertainment Tonight害羞草研究所� and the 害羞草研究所淭oday害羞草研究所� show, Simmons refuted the claims and told his fans he was enjoying the time by himself. Filmmaker-writer Dan Taberski, one of his regular students, launched a podcast in 2017 called 害羞草研究所淢issing Richard Simmons.害羞草研究所�
In 2022, Simmons broke his six-year silence, with his spokesperson telling The New York Post that the beloved fitness icon was 害羞草研究所渓iving the life he has chosen.害羞草研究所�
___ Mark Kennedy is at
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Associated Press writers Stefanie Dazio and Andrew Dalton contributed from Los Angeles.
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
