Celebrity Fitness Guru Was 76

Richard Simmons, the goofy clown prince of health who turned his ardour for weight reduction into riches and fame as a Hollywood movie star, has died. He was 76.

A rep for Simmons instructed The Hollywood Reporter that he died earlier Saturday at his residence in Los Angeles. His reason for loss of life wasn’t instantly accessible.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Division confirmed that personnel responded to a 911 name from Simmons’ residence on Belfast Drive and arrived there at 9:57 a.m. on Saturday. The spokesperson added that “an investigation remains to be being carried out.”

“I don’t need folks to be unhappy about my brother,” Lenny Simmons, Richard’s brother, shared in an announcement.” I would like them to recollect him for the real pleasure and love he dropped at folks’s lives. He really cared about folks. He known as, wrote, and emailed hundreds of individuals all through his profession to supply assist. So don’t be unhappy. Rejoice his life.”

The star of his personal syndicated TV train present within the Eighties, the curly-haired Simmons bought tens of millions of aerobics “Sweatin‘ to the Oldies” movies and DVDs. 

At his peak, Simmons, who sported too-short shorts and a shiny tank prime with Swarovski crystals throughout his exercises, flew across the nation making motivational speeches and conducting health courses for rapt followers.

In 1980, he revealed Richard Simmons’ By no means-Say-Weight loss program Ebook, an enormous best-seller that had chapters like “Coming to Grips With Your Hips” and “Learn how to Eat Out and Not Pig Out.”

Simmons went on to seem as himself on such collection as Arrested Improvement, Superb Tales, CHiPs, The Larry Sanders Present and Normal Hospital and was a frequent visitor/foil on The Howard Stern Present and on David Letterman’s late evening speak exhibits.

Later, he voiced the character Coach Salmons on the 2010-12 Disney Channel animated collection Fish Hooks.

Simmons was born Milton Teagle Simmons in New Orleans on July 12, 1948, grew up within the French Quarter and bought pralines on the road. He was chubby as a child and mentioned he weighed almost 270 kilos when he graduated highschool.

After spending a while in Europe, he mentioned that he discovered an nameless notice on the windshield of his automotive in 1968 that learn: “Expensive Richard: Fats folks die younger. Please don’t die.”

Simmons vowed to get in form and, at 5-foot-7, acquired right down to about 150 kilos. He headed west and introduced his weight-loss message to Beverly Hills, opening a mix train studio (Anatomy Asylum) and restaurant (Ruffage) in 1974. His clientele included Barbra Streisand, Dustin Hoffman, Cheryl Ladd, Diana Ross and Paul Newman.

In November 2016, Simmons shuttered the studio, most not too long ago known as Slimmons. “The studio is the place my entire profession began,” he wrote on his web site. “I started doing native exhibits within the metropolis. After which I acquired my massive break to play myself on Normal Hospital.”

5 months earlier, Simmons was transported from his residence to a hospital by ambulance after the Los Angeles Fireplace Division responded to a 911 name. He mentioned later that he was dehydrated and instructed his followers to not fear about his well being.

The New York Every day Information reported in March 2016 that he was being held in opposition to his will in his residence. However Simmons, who hadn’t been seen in public in about two years, denied that on the As we speak present. “Nobody is holding me in my home as a hostage,” he mentioned.

In January, Simmons mentioned he didn’t approve of a biopic of his life from The Wolper Group that Pauly Shore would star in. “I’ve by no means given my permission for this film,” he mentioned.

“Whereas we might like to have him concerned,” the filmmakers behind the challenge famous then, “we respect his want to privateness and plan to supply a film that honors him, celebrates him and tells a dramatic story. We all know he’s deeply non-public, and we’d by no means wish to invade that. Nonetheless, he’s a tremendous person who modified tens of millions of individuals’s lives, and the impact he has had on the world must be acknowledged.”

On the eve of his loss of life, Simmons was on Fb, expressing his appreciation to followers for his or her birthday needs. “Thanks … I by no means acquired so many messages about my birthday in my life!” he wrote. “I’m sitting right here writing emails. Have a most lovely remainder of your Friday.”

Christy Piña contributed to this report.