Richard Simmons' Housekeeper Returns The Favor Of Theft Claims In Family's Legal Battle

Richard Simmons' former housekeeper, Teresa Reveles, is keeping the scores even as the legal battle with his brother takes another bitter turn.

The late fitness guru's housekeeper has now turned around to accuse his younger brother, Leonard Simmons, of taking out a six-figure sum from her late boss' Trust.

Leonard Simmons had previously accused the domestic staff of parting away with the late Richard Simmons' jewelry and other personal items after his death.

Teresa accused Leonard of going against the order that made her interim co-trustee of Richard's Trust by making decisions behind her back. She added that Leonard was unwilling to hand over requested documents on the administration of Richards' Trust.

The housekeeper's attorney argued that Leonard had intentionally disregarded the Court's Order, actively hindering Teresa's efforts to fulfill her role as Successor Co-Trustee.

At the same time, it is believed Leonard appears to be fabricating a false narrative that implicates Teresa in the Trust's issues. He reportedly accuses her of non-cooperation and suggests that she has played a role in its problems. The filing further read:

"To make matters worse, Leonard is using the Trust resources to fund his personal vendetta against Teresa, and has depleted the resources to the point where he has refused to make or even consider the most modest and/or partial distributions to Richard's beneficiaries."

Teresa added that Leonard has stopped looking after the trust as a priority and now wants to take her out of the equation, against Richard's wishes, per In Touch.

The former housekeeper revealed that Leonard incurred an astonishing $566,654 in litigation costs, primarily for phasing her out and keeping knowledge of the trust operation away from her. She noted that some of these legal fees were paid without her consent, despite her role as interim co-trustee.

Teresa alleged that Leonard incurred an additional expense of $277,200 for continuous armed security at Richard's residence. According to Teresa's legal representative, the total expenditures made by Leonard since Richard's passing have exceeded $843,854. 

Despite these substantial costs, Leonard reportedly refuses to distribute any funds to the beneficiaries, who, unlike him, did not receive a multimillion-dollar insurance payout following Richard's death.

Teresa, along with Leonard and several other longtime employees of Richard, are also designated as beneficiaries in a legal matter. In an effort to ensure compliance with a court order, Teresa has requested the judge to intervene and compel Leonard to adhere to the ruling.

Leonard had earlier accused Teresa of carting away valuable jewelry as she left the late fitness guru's house shortly after his passing.

The Blast noted that he also claimed she stole art pieces and several personal items from the health and wellness instructor. Leonard mentioned that he could not locate the song lyrics his brother compiled for a Broadway play.

Leonard suggested that the court declare Teresa's failure to provide the items he demanded a violation of the "no contest" clause in Richard's will which would see her losing her entire inheritance.

In addition to the theft accusations, Leonard claimed that the former housekeeper had displayed sheer animosity towards him for reasons he could not establish.

Leonard noted that the both of them serving alongside themselves as co-administrators of Richard's estate was a recipe for disaster.

The former housekeeper continued that she was suddenly requested to leave the residence after working there for about 36 years of her life.

"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," the former employee recalled.

She noted that she left the property on September 26. While she was there, she took care of Richard's animals and livestock which he loved prior to his tragic passing.

Teresa also cited her late employer's generosity, from giving away his collectibles to sharing his possessions with others. On the jewelry Leonard accused her of stealing, Teresa explained:

"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."

The former employee's luck smiled at her during a court hearing on December 4, where the judge appointed her as interim co-trustee.

The order opened a door for Teresa to make important decisions on the fitness guru's estate as she wanted. It came just in time amid Teresa's back and forth with Leonard over his failure to respect Richard's final wishes. In her declaration, Teresa explained:

"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."

She also accused Leonard of conniving with Richard's former manager to mismanage the estate and sell off the star's properties without her authorization.

Is there an end in sight to Teresa Reveles and Leonard Simmons' legal tussle over Richard Simmons' estate?