Richard Simmons, the colorful fitness guru who turned aerobic dancing and positive energy into decades of fame, died Saturday, police said. He was 76.
Simmons was found at his home and there was no evidence of foul play, sources told The Times.
Simmons specialized in helping obese people lose weight, starting a fitness studio in Los Angeles and eventually making appearances on television shows, including a popular stint on “General Hospital.”
In his biography, he said that battling obesity inspired him to help others.
Over the years, she hosted various shows, produced fitness videos, and even owned a chain of fitness studios. At the same time, she made regular appearances in movies and TV shows.
In recent years, Simmons had become an object of fascination, some of it unwanted. He withdrew from the public eye and some worried about his health.
In 2017, the podcast “Missing Richard Simmons” revisited the speculation surrounding Simmons’ well-being, although it refuted many of the rumors.
In March, she revealed that she had been diagnosed with skin cancer and had undergone treatment to kill the cancerous cells. Simmons detailed in a pair of Facebook posts that she had found “a strange-looking lump under my right eye.”
