Fitness Icon Richard Simmons Passes Away at 76, Leaving a Legacy of Health and Inspiration

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Richard Simmons sits for a portrait in Los Angeles, June 23, 1982. Simmons, a fitness guru who urged the overweight to exercise and eat better, died Saturday, July 13, 2024, at the age of 76. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
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Fitness legend Richard Simmons passed away on July 13 at 76, just one day after his birthday. His publicist confirmed his death at his Los Angeles home to the Associated Press but provided no additional information.

After revealing a skin condition diagnosis in March 2024, Simmons had withdrawn from the public eye, leading to widespread speculation about his health. TMZ was the first to report his passing.

Richard Simmons arrives at the Project Angel Food’s 2013 Angel Awards in Los Angeles on Aug. 10, 2013. Simmons, a fitness guru who urged the overweight to exercise and eat better, died Saturday, July 13, 2024, at the age of 76. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File, File)

Once a 268-pound teenager, Simmons transformed into a multimedia fitness icon, hosting the Emmy-winning “Richard Simmons Show,” writing best-selling books, and creating the popular diet plan Deal-A-Meal.

He also founded exercise studios and produced the hit exercise video series “Sweatin’ to the Oldies,” which became a cultural sensation.


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