Richard Simmons' Family's Legal Battle Intensifies To Theft Accusation

Richard Simmons' alleged missing personal belongings continue to cause tension between his family and housekeeper.

The fitness guru's brother, Leonard Simmons, has accused the housekeeper, Teresa Reveles, of doing away with the celebrity's jewelry shortly after his death and has refused to provide the items she took.

Richard Simmons passed away on July 13, 2024, at the age of 76, after suffering a fall in his Los Angeles home.

In his new filing, the late fitness enthusiast's brother claimed his housekeeper took expensive pieces of jewelry along with her when she finally decided to vacate his home 76 days after Richard's death.

He added that she also parted away with valuable pieces of art, which she has refused to return. In addition to these identified items, several personal belongings, including the song lyrics the fitness icon wrote for a Broadway Play cannot also be accounted for.

He urged the court to determine that Teresa's failure to provide the items he demanded violated a "no contest" clause in Richard's will, which could have resulted in her forfeiting her entire inheritance.

Leonard's latest accusation comes after he declared that Teresa had demonstrated strong animosity toward him for "reasons that he does not understand" since she voluntarily declined to serve as Co-Trustee of Richard's estate.

Per In Touch, he argued that having both of them serve as Co-Trustee would be "counterproductive and almost certainly lead to the appointment of a corporate trustee."

Teresa explained in her newly filed declaration a response to Leonard's claim that the jewelry he accused her of stealing was gifted to her by Richard around the Thanksgiving holiday in 2014.

She explained that after Richard's death, she continued to live at his home and took care of some household matters, including securing food for and feeding the animals, which Richard held in high esteem during his lifetime. Teresa added:

"Soon after Richard's death, Joel Levy, Richard's accountant, told me that Richard's staff, including me, would continue to be employed and paid for six months after Richard's death."

She added, "I received a letter dated September 17, 2024, from Leonard terminating my employment after 36 years and instructing me to vacate the Residence by no later than noon on Friday, September 27, 2024."

Teresa claimed she moved out of the residence on September 26, 2024. She described Richard as an incredibly generous person who gave away his collectibles, possessions, and other lavish gifts to many people.

The housekeeper identified the jewelry in question, noting that it included two watches and seven rings. She declared:

"It is my understanding that Richard purchased all of the Gifted Jewelry before he signed the Trust in December 2012. Except for the Gifted Jewelry, I do not have or claim ownership over any of the other jewelry referenced or pictured in Leonard's Petition."

While she claimed not to own the missing Broadway lyrics, she disclosed that Richard left her some personal, sentimental notes. The housekeeper shared that Leonard demanded his brother's workout clothes, which he described as his "signature" exercise outfits for his fitness programs.

She also claimed to own three pairs of striped shorts that he gave her before his death as he cleaned out his closet. Teresa shared that the clothes were meant to go to charity, but she decided to keep them for herself as a relic of her 36 years with the fitness guru.

Teresa voiced her intention to keep the "three pairs of striped shorts to remember Richard by," adding that she would hand them over to the Trust on request. 

"I do not have or know the whereabouts of any other "exercise clothes" that Leonard claims are missing," her lawyer stated that only the court reserves the right to "quickly dispose of Leonard's selfish and misguided thuggery."

The Blast reported that at a hearing on December 4, the legal umpire appointed Teresa as interim co-trustee until another hearing could be held this January.

The order granted Teresa the right to sit on the decision-making table about Richard's estate as she wanted. The housekeeper has also been fighting for her right over Leonard's alleged refusal to honor her brother's final wishes.

"It appears that Leonard is actively preparing to dispose of numerous of Richard's personal effects, as he has retained a real estate agent to market Richard's home where all of his personal effects were maintained," part of Teresa's allegations read.

Teresa accused Leonard of making arrangements to imminently sell, donate, or otherwise dispose of Richard's personal effects without her input, as Richard had predicted in the Trust. The fitness guru's longtime employee also accused Leonard of conniving with Richard's ex-manager to mismanage his estate.

A lot went down with the late fitness instructor's properties last December, as his Range Rover went away to the highest bidder on December 3, 2024. 

The Blast shared that the car auctioned off for $30,750 and was facilitated by the "Bring A Trailer" auction house, who described the price as a good deal.

The auctioned automobile had around 18,000 miles and a luxurious interior. It also featured 20" rims, leather couches, a wood-trimmed steering wheel, a sunroof, a touchscreen infotainment system, and heated seats.

The Range Rover, carefully looked after by the late health instructor, also had a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine with 510 horsepower, 461 lb-ft of torque, and a six-speed automatic transmission.

Richard's car also had a spotless Carfax report and recently passed its smog check, but it was not confirmed who signed off on the car sale.