Fitness Guru Richard Simmons' Team Reveals His Last Post Before His Death

Richard Simmons stepping out of the spotlight did not deter him from communicating constantly with his fans.

The fitness guru, fond of sharing important life updates with his fans on his social media, was also very meticulous about the entire process and left a significant one behind before his passing.

Richard Simmons died on Saturday, July 13, a day after he celebrated his 76th birthday at this Los Angeles home.

The fitness icon's staff took to X (formerly Twitter) to inform the fans of Richard's planned posts and ideas before his death, which were so intentionally crafted, stating:

"Hello everyone. Richard worked very hard on his posts for you.  He had many ideas and would work ahead… going back to each one, making changes until he had it just like he wanted before posting."

The handle continued that Richard would usually compose his captions for the upcoming weekend by Friday as they proceeded to share the post, which read:

"Here is the post Richard had planned for you for Sunday, July 14, 2024.  Let me fly you to the moon so we can gaze among the stars. Love, Richard"

The comment section was swarmed with well wishes and condolences from fans who described the icon as a "beautiful soul, inside and out."

One user wrote, "Thank you. This makes me want to cry. Thank you." Another person added, "The world has lost a truly lovely human. Rest in peace."

This commenter described the celebrity as a lovely human, adding, "He made exercising fun for us couch potatoes. A bright star in my life. gone too soon. May his memory be your blessing."

The Blast recently shared that Richard had an interesting bucket list before his death, and coming back onto the fitness scene was at the top of it.

According to his brother Lenny, Richard had plans to leave retirement and influence the next generation of fitness gurus who grew up watching him sweat it out on television in the 1970s and 1980s. The health and wellness activist explained:

"I think the way kids are growing up today with their phones and all that, and not getting out… there's a need again, and I think that's why he came out of retirement. He knew — if you read some of his posts — people will say, 'I used to watch your videos with my grandparents.' So, you know, it's a new generation that is watching."

While Lenny had reservations about his brother's planned comeback, especially in the physical strength department, he understood the intention behind his plans.

"But the point is, I think he realized that he needed to be out there again for a new generation of people who are having problems like they were many years ago," he noted.

With his brother's death, the health activist revealed his desire for someone else to pick up the baton, saying, "I think coming out of this, there may be people that will show up and say, 'I want to continue that legacy… I hope so."

The fitness legend's passion for exercising and a healthy lifestyle stemmed from his weight struggles at a younger age, which led him to formulate effective routines and healthy recipes to help others in his situation.

Richard became famous after the launch of Ruffage and the Anatomy Asylum, which doubled as a health food eatery and exercise studio in 1974 and became his fitness empire, where he taught classes and filmed workout videos.

It's been a handful of days since he passed, and the LAPD has disclosed that the cause of his death is still being investigated as the Medical Examiner's Office also added that their earlier statement about his death has been deferred.

The Blast reported that the new information means that the fitness icon's death is no longer perceived as natural, pending the completion of investigations and additional testing.

The entire process may take up to three months before getting a conclusive result. Richard's death came a decade after he retired from the limelight and halted all public appearances in 2016. 

At that time, the fitness instructor revealed to the media that his retirement was "for Richard Simmons to take care of Richard Simmons." He added:

"I love all the people who worry about me. But it was time for me to take some time to be by myself. This is how I want to live my life right now."

Ironically, the 76-year-old declared in an interview before his death that he felt good to be alive, adding: "I am grateful that I'm here and that I am alive for another day. I'll spend my birthday doing what I do every day, which is to help people."

True to his words, the TV personality had a warm interaction with his fans on Facebook on his birthday and settled in on Friday evening to continue his celebration at home, after which he suffered an unfortunate fall in the bathroom.

However, Richard rejected his housekeeper's offer to call for medical assistance after the fall. Instead, he asked to be tucked into bed and promised to get checked out the next day.

Unfortunately, the icon was found unresponsive at 10 am the next day on the floor of his bedroom, bringing an end to decades of an iconic legacy.

Richard Simmons was truly a force who touched lives with his sterling career!