Richard Simmons’ Cause of Death Determined to Be Accidental
New details have emerged in the death of legendary fitness guru Richard Simmons.
Police had responded to a call from Simmons’ housekeeper on the morning of July 13 — one day after his 76th birthday. Simmons was pronounced dead at the scene, and no foul play was suspected.
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On Aug. 21, a spokesperson for the Simmons family told People.com that, per the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office, Simmons’ death has been determined to be accidental, stemming from complications due to recent falls and with heart disease a contributing factor.
The coroner’s office also reported that Simmons’ toxicology report was negative, other than medication he had been prescribed.
Simmons rose to fame in the 1970s after opening a series of gyms across Los Angeles. His popularity led to a pair of TV hosting gigs — Slim Cookin and the Emmy-winning Richard Simmons Show — as well as a slate of self-hosted fitness tapes released throughout the 1980s, all of which made him a certified pop culture icon.
He appeared as himself across dozens of television shows, including All My Children, Amazing Stories, Arrested Development, CHiPs, Evening Shade, Fame, General Hospital and The Larry Sanders Show. He guested on late-night programs such as Late Night With David Letterman, Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and was a panelist on game shows Family Feud, The New Hollywood Squares and Super Password. He also lent his voice to several animated series, including Dinosaurs, Fish Hooks, Hercules, Johnny Bravo and Rocko’s Modern Life.
Simmons halted most public appearances in 2014, prompting false speculation that he was being held against his will. In 2017, journalist Dan Taberski released a podcast titled Missing Richard Simmons where he investigated Simmons’ abrupt disappearance from the public eye and why the exercise instructor went MIA. Rumors continued to swirl, and in 2022, Simmons issued a statement to the New York Post saying he was “happy, healthy and living the life he has chosen.”
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