Richard Simmons, renowned for inspiring overweight individuals to get active and adopt healthier eating habits, passed away on Saturday.
Simmons, famous for his vibrant tank tops and short shorts, brought boundless energy to television as the lively court jester of physical fitness. He turned 76 on Friday.
According to an email from Richard Simmons’ publicist Tom Estey to The Associated Press, the fitness guru passed away at his Los Angeles home. “We lost an Angel today – a true Angel,” Estey said.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that officers responded to a 911 call from Richard Simmons’ home on Belfast Drive and arrived at 9:57 a.m. on Saturday.
“Upon arrival, one rescue ambulance discovered a 76-year-old male who was pronounced deceased on-scene by firefighter/paramedics due to apparent natural causes.
“As a result, no hospital transport was necessary,” LAFD Captain Erik Scott said.
Just two days before his passing, Richard contemplated his aspirations for his legacy.
“I never thought of myself as a celebrity. People don’t know this – I’m really a shy person and a little bit of an introvert,” he told People.
“But when that curtain goes up that’s a different story. I’m there to make people happy.
“But the accolades I get from emails. I mean, today most probably, we’ll answer over 100 emails.
“And they’ll say, ‘I’m your No1 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.’”
Simmons’ brother, Lenny Simmons, confirmed the death in a statement.
“I don’t want people to be sad about my brother,” Lenny Simmons said. “I want them to remember him for the genuine joy and love he brought to people’s lives.”
“We are in shock,” Lenny added. “Please respect the family at this difficult time.”Tom Estey, Simmons’ longtime publicist, said in a statement, “Today the World lost an Angel.”
A day before his sudden passing, Simmons celebrated his 76th birthday and took to the social media to thank everyone for the birthday wishes.
“Thank you…I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life!” Simmons wrote. “I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday.”
He signed the post “Love, Richard.”
Simmons, who grew up in New Orleans, battled weight issues from a young age, tipping the scales at nearly 200 pounds by age 15. By the time he graduated from high school, he weighed 268 pounds, as documented on his website.
From 1980 to 1984, he hosted the Richard Simmons Show that focused on personal health and fitness.
He also gained fame through his aerobic exercise videos, such as 1988’s Sweatin’ to the Oldies and its sequels in 1990 and 1991.
Simmons expanded his early success with frequent appearances on various TV shows, ranging from The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson to game shows like Match Game and The New Hollywood Squares. He became a staple of late-night television during the ’90s and 2000s, appearing on shows hosted by Jay Leno and David Letterman.
Throughout the years, Simmons sold millions of workout videos. He owned a Beverly Hills exercise studio and restaurant frequented by celebrities like Barbra Streisand and Paul Newman.
Following his recent withdrawal from public life, during which he disclosed a skin illness in March 2024, speculation about Simmons’ health and well-being had circulated. His death was initially reported by TMZ.
We are so very sorry for this loss. May he rest in peace.
Simon Cowell Fans Concerned By His Appearance As They ‘Don’t Recognize Him’
Simon Cowell alarmed followers with an appearance on social media that some couldn’t even identify him.
Well is a well-known English TV personality, entrepreneur, and record executive who is most recognized for her roles as judges on talent competitions on television, including America’s Got Talent, Pop Idol, and The X Factor.
In addition, his constantly shifting appearance has some followers wondering if he’s had plastic surgery.
The rumor gained more traction after a video featuring the media mogul went viral.
When it comes to his history of cosmetic surgery, Cowell has always been very open about it.
In a 2018 interview with The Sun, he acknowledged having had a procedure known as a “21st century facelift.”
The AGT judge disclosed that he had a Silhouette Soft Lift at the office of Dr. Jean-Louis Sebagh, a cosmetic surgeon.
A thread lift procedure called a Silhouette Soft Lift tightens and corrects the neck, brows, jawline, and midface.
“There’s lots of things you can do now,” Cowell stated in a conversation with The Sun. You’re not limited to using Botox and fillers on your face.
He continued, alluding to an incident where fans saw his bruises and reportedly swollen eyes. “I probably did have a little too much a couple of years ago,” he said.
The media mogul stated he made the decision to discontinue injectables because he had “gone a bit too far” in an interview with the journal from 2022.
“I saw a picture of myself from ‘before’ the other day, and I didn’t recognize it as me at all,” he recalled.His son Eric was going crazy. It had to end. My face is completely free of filler now. None at all.
However, Cowell just stirred up suspicions about cosmetic surgery once more.
Everything began when a since-deleted video was posted to Britain’s Got Talent’s X, formerly Twitter, account.
In the widely circulated video, Cowell exhorts viewers to apply for the well-liked ITV program, saying, “I always say on this show, two or three minutes can change your life.” It has, too. And perhaps it will be you this time.I look forward to meeting you, so please audition soon for the upcoming season.
Fans, however, were commenting about Cowell’s supposedly altered look in the video for a very other reason.
One viewer commented, “That doesn’t look like him at all,” in response to the video.
One more person asked, “What’s he done to his face?”
A third admirer posed the same question: “Is that Simon Cowell? What has become of his face?
Very hard to believe that’s even him,” said another person.
Others responded in the comments, speculating that Cowell’s altered appearance might have been caused by a motorbike accident in August 2020, which necessitated the insertion of a metal rod in his back for stability, according to The Independent.
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