New photos show Richard Simmons’ body being removed from his West Hollywood home after the fitness guru died Saturday at the age of 76.
The LA County coroner arrived at the home, where police had been dispatched earlier that day after a call from Simmons’ housekeeper.
ABC News reported that Simmons, who announced in March that he had been diagnosed with skin cancer, died of natural causes and that no foul play is suspected.
Photos show the coroner carrying Simmons’ body out of his home on a stretcher as several police cars sit in the driveway.
Simmons died just a day after turning 76. He posted a message to fans on Facebook to celebrate his birthday.
Photos show Richard Simmons’ body being removed from his West Hollywood home
The LA County coroner was seen arriving at the home where Simmons died Saturday
Photos show the coroner carrying Simmons’ body out of his home on a stretcher
After the fitness guru’s death, several police cars were parked in the driveway
His message read: ‘Thank you…I have never had so many birthday messages in my life! I am sitting here writing emails. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your Friday. Love, Richard’.
In a rare interview on Friday, Simmons also revealed his fun plans to celebrate his birthday. He told People, “But the candle will probably be on a zucchini. You know, I’m a vegetarian.”
Reflecting on his 76th birthday, he added: “I feel good! I’m grateful to be here, to be alive another day. I’m going to spend my birthday doing what I do every day, which is helping people.”
Simmons, who grew up in the French Quarter of New Orleans before settling in California, weighed 265 pounds when he graduated from high school, according to his website.
His own story of struggling with weight loss, trying everything from fad diets to laxatives before deciding to exercise and live a better lifestyle, has inspired millions of people to do the same.
Simmons died at home in Los Angeles, just a day after celebrating his 76th birthday
Simmons posted a message on his Facebook on Friday as he celebrated his birthday
Simmons became a master of many media formats, sharing his hard-won weight-loss tips as host of the Emmy-winning “Richard Simmons Show” and as the bestselling author of the Deal-A-Meal diet plan.
He also opened fitness studios and starred in fitness videos, including the hugely successful “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” line, which became a cultural phenomenon.
Simmons’ daytime show was seen on 200 stations in the United States, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan and South America. His first book, Never Say Diet, was a bestseller.
He was known for counseling severely overweight people, including Rosalie Bradford, who holds the record for the world’s heaviest woman, and Michael Hebranko, who credited Simmons with helping him lose 700 pounds.
After winning over a fan base with his infectious enthusiasm and positivity, Simmons stepped back from the spotlight in 2014.
Simmons announced in an emotional Facebook post in March that he had been diagnosed with skin cancer after discovering a “strange-looking lump” under his right eye.
Simmons broke into the spotlight in the 1970s and 1980s with his gyms and fitness videos
Simmons won a legion of fans with his infectious enthusiasm and positivity
The announcement of his skin cancer came just days after the reclusive star sparked fears of his death with a disturbing social media post.
He posted on X and Facebook: ‘I have news for you. Please don’t be sad. I am… dying. The truth is we are all dying. Every day we live we are closer to our death.
“Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to live your life to the fullest every day. Get up in the morning and look at the sky… count your blessings and enjoy.”
In a later message, Simmons apologized, saying he was “sorry for the confusion.”
“I’m sorry that my post today upset many of you. Even the press reached out to me,” the fitness celebrity wrote in a post on X. “I’m not dying.”
The media figure, previously known for his outgoing personality, abruptly stopped making public appearances in 2014, and many of his fans expressed concern for his well-being in the years that followed.
However, Simmons’ spokesman Tom Estey issued a statement to the New York Post in 2022 saying he was “happy, healthy and living the life he chose.”