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Louise Thomas
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Richard Simmons’s death is reportedly under investigation.
The fitness guru was found dead at his home by his housekeeper on July 13. Simmons’s death came one day after he celebrated his 76th birthday.
His cause of death was not immediately known, although no foul play was suspected.
However, The Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Office has since stated that his cause of death has been deferred, which means additional testing and an investigation will determine the exact cause. It could take up to three months before a ruling is determined.
Simmons reportedly took a tumble in his bathroom the night before his death, according to TMZ, but refused his housekeeper’s suggestion that he seek medical attention.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Simmons’s brother, Lenny Simmons, called the fitness instructor’s death a “shock,” explaining that Simmons had initially thought he’d had a bout of food poisoning.
“He wasn’t feeling really well that day, because he said he thought he’d had some food poisoning, but he was getting better and going to bed a little early,” he said. “So we really didn’t think anything about it. We all have our bad days sometimes, you know, not feeling the best and when [Richard’s housekeeper, Teresa] called me, I was in shock. I called my wife, Kathy, and I said, ‘You need to come here. You need to hear what [Teresa’s] saying.’ And it really… my soul just [felt] sucked [out of my body].”
The day before his death, Simmons thanked fans on social media for sending “so many messages about my birthday.”
“I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday,” he wrote.
Simmons found fame in Los Angeles in the 1980s as a weight loss instructor and motivational speaker. He became known for frequent appearances on TV and radio talk shows, including the Late Show with David Letterman and The Howard Stern Show, and for his popular series of aerobic videos Sweatin’ to the Oldies.
In his final interview with People, published two days before his death, he spoke about how much he missed his fans and that he still stayed in touch with them.
“I know people miss me. And you know what? I miss them, too. But I am able to reach them through phone calls and through emails. And I do leave the house sometimes. But I’m in disguise,” said Simmons, who had retreated from the public in 2014.
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“Today most probably, we’ll answer over 100 emails. And they’ll say, ‘I’m your No 1 fan.’ And I just write back, and I say, you know, ‘Don’t say that because I’m a human being just like you. And I know that you do good things, too.’”
