Richard Simmons' Family Dispute Over Missing $1 Million Jewelry Turns To Lawsuit

Richard Simmons' family races to the dock and drags his former housekeeper, Teresa Reveles, along!

The late fitness enthusiast's family has now served his beloved housekeeper legal papers over his missing properties, including his prized jewelry.

Richard Simmons had employed the services of Teresa Reveles for more than three decades till his shocking death a day after his 76th birthday last July.

Richard's former housekeeper, Teresa, is now facing legal action from his family regarding allegedly missing property.

The items included over $1 million worth of jewelry belonging to the deceased, lyrics that Richard had penned for a musical in progress, his computer, signature workout clothes, collectible dolls, and various pieces of fine art.

On March 18, Richard's brother, Leonard Simmons, named co-administrator of Richard's estate alongside Teresa, filed a petition against her, claiming she took items without permission and seeking damages. 

Teresa has stated that she only kept a few personal items, such as a couple of workout shorts, which Richard had given her as mementos. The dispute escalated into a court battle following Richard's passing nearly a year ago.

As gathered by In Touch in the petition, Leonard shared that after he told Teresa to vacate Richard's home, he discovered that a significant amount of Richard's property, now part of the estate and Trust, was missing. 

Teresa recounted to the court that the jewelry she possessed was a gift from Richard, which he had given her on Thanksgiving in 2014.

She described a memorable moment when Richard came into the kitchen bearing several pieces of jewelry, placing a pink diamond ring on her finger and expressing his desire to gift it to her, leaving her both shocked and grateful. 

Later that day, during dinner, he offered her all the remaining jewelry on the table, stating he would no longer wear it and wanted her to have it. Teresa accepted the gifts with heartfelt thanks and kept them in her room until she left the residence on September 26, 2024.

In addition, Teresa clarified that she previously denied possessing Richard's song lyrics. She, however, expressed a wish to keep three pairs of striped shorts as a memento of Richard but stated that she would return them to the Trust if requested. 

Teresa also noted that she did not possess or know the whereabouts of any other exercise clothes claimed to be missing by Leonard.

Leonard stated that Richard was asked to complete paperwork regarding his jewelry five months before his death. The jewelry in question consists of several high-value items, including a Cartier 18k Panther style watch valued at $33,000 and an oval Cartier watch worth $47,000.

The set also contained multiple diamond rings totaling $616,706, with the most expensive being an emerald-cut diamond ring priced at $219,000. 

Additional items include diamond cufflinks worth $9,859 and a diamond band set worth $39,411, bringing the total value of the jewelry into the hundreds of thousands.

In his petition, Leonard requested the return of the jewelry and damages against Teresa. He emphasized that Richard had identified the jewelry as his personal property and confirmed it was in his possession. 

Following Richard's death, Leonard and others sought to check the jewelry, only to find several items missing. Leonard alleged that he had instructed Teresa not to remove any jewelry when she was evicted from Richard's home on September 26, 2024, but she did so nonetheless.

Although she returned some items, Leonard claimed they lacked the value of the jewelry he believed she took. 

In his petition, Leonard outlined concerns about his brother Richard's health leading up to his death. He noted that despite their frequent phone conversations, he had not been able to visit Richard for several years. 

After Richard passed away, Leonard was shocked to discover that Richard had been experiencing serious health issues, including dizziness and falls, one of which resulted in a lost tooth.

Remarkably, the wellness expert had not sought medical attention for years. The day before his death, he suffered a significant fall for which he received no treatment. The Medical Examiner's Report revealed multiple prior blunt traumatic injuries, a fractured left femur, and underlying cardiovascular disease.

Throughout this time, Teresa, who saw Richard almost daily, failed to inform Leonard of Richard's declining health and did not take action to ensure he received appropriate medical care despite knowing that Leonard held Richard's Special Power of Attorney.

As previously shared by The Blast, Teresa raised concerns about Leonard's trust management following Richard's passing. She claims that Leonard has deprioritized his responsibilities and is attempting to remove her from the Trust, contrary to Richard's intentions. 

According to Teresa, Leonard has amassed significant legal fees totaling $566,654, primarily aimed at sidelining her and obscuring the Trust's operations from her view, with some of these expenses incurred without her approval, despite her position as interim co-trustee.

Additionally, she alleged that Leonard had spent $277,200 on armed security for Richard's residence, bringing the total outlays he has made since Richard's death to over $843,854.

Despite these extravagant expenses, Leonard has reportedly refused to distribute any funds to the beneficiaries, who did not receive a substantial insurance payout as he did.

Teresa, alongside Leonard and other long-term employees of Richard, are also named beneficiaries in a legal case. In light of these issues, Teresa has requested judicial intervention to compel Leonard to comply with a court order regarding the Trust.

Will Richard Simmons' family and his ex-housekeeper reach a truce soon?