Richard Simmons reportedly refused medical treatment after falling in his bathroom the day before he was found dead.
According to TMZThe fitness guru and TV star fell in the bathroom of his West Hollywood home Friday night after feeling dizzy.
But when his housekeeper came to help him, she told Simmons to see a doctor.
It is alleged that he did not want to go to the doctor because it was his birthday and that he told her he would go to the doctor on Saturday.
But at 10 a.m. Saturday morning, the housekeeper found Simmons dead on the floor next to his bed.
Richard Simmons allegedly refused medical treatment after falling the day before his death
Simmons posted a message on his Facebook on Friday as he celebrated his birthday
Police responded to the housekeeper’s call, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no visible or outward signs of injuries.
On the same day he fell in the bathroom, Simmons posted a message to his fans on Facebook to celebrate his birthday.
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.
Photos show Simmons’ body being removed from his West Hollywood home on Saturday
Photos show the coroner removing Simmons’ body from his home on a stretcher on Saturday
Simmons broke into the spotlight in the 1970s and 1980s with his gyms and fitness videos
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.