Heavy/Getty Richard Simmons, photographed on July 13, 2008.
When celebrity fitness guru Richard Simmons was found dead at his home on July 13, 2024, the Los Angeles Police Department said he died of natural causes and that no foul play was suspected, according to ABC News. But on the evening of July 15, the LAPD confirmed to People that Simmons’ death, which happened one day after his 76th birthday, is now under investigation.
The local Medical Examiner’s Office told People that Simmons’ cause of death “has since been deferred,” prompting an investigation and additional testing. People said police told the outlet there “is no foul play.”
Though it’s not known what specifically caused the LAPD to change course, the news comes after TMZ reported that Simmons fell in the bathroom on the night of his death after feeling dizzy, but refused to seek medical attention despite his housekeeper’s urging.
According to TMZ, the housekeeper helped Simmons get to bed, but around 10 a.m. the following morning, she found him “unresponsive on the floor next to his bed.” TMZ reported that police declared Simmons deceased upon their arrival, and that an autopsy had been completed by the morning of July 15.
As police investigate what caused Simmons’ death, fans have begun to question whether the writings he shared in the days prior, including an emotional poem about loss and grief, indicated that he sensed his death was imminent.
Richard Simmons Wrote Poignant Messages Before Death: ‘It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye’
GettyFitness guru Richard Simmons hugs Elaine LaLanne, widow of the first television fitness guru, Jack LaLanne, at the his funeral service on February 1, 2011 in Los Angeles.
Two days before Simmons died, the “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” star gave a rare interview to People magazine, revealing he’d just written about grief and loss for a Broadway show about his life that he hoped to bring to fruition.
In the phone interview, published on July 15, Simmons explained that he’d written the lyrics to 14 songs for the potential show and had bi-weekly calls with composer Patrick Leonard to compare notes, telling People, “Every week, I write an audio. So this is the one for this week.”
Reciting the lines he’d written, Simmons read, “How do you deal with loss? It takes a toll on your heart. Some shed many tears, others stare at the sky. It’s so hard to say goodbye. Here is what I know when it’s time for us to go, beautiful angels will greet us with a smile and a hello.”
Combined with other writings that Simmons shared on social media in the days before his death, including many stories about his life, some fans have begun questioning whether Simmons sensed he might not live much longer.
After People published his last interview, one fan tweeted, “I love how he was pretty much posting his autobiography right up until hours before his death. I think he knew. He wanted all those wonderful stories & anecdotes out there asap.”
Another tweeted, “It just seems from reading his posts on here, he had a feeling, or maybe premonition that something was going to happen. I don’t know. Just the tone of his posts. I really pray that he is at peace.”
On Facebook, another fan commented, “I feel like Richard Simmons knew his time was limited and his fb posts was his memoir. He sure was a great story teller and had the best stories and memories to share.”
“I wondered that too, but he wouldn’t have wanted anyone to worry about it and would have wanted to keep things private anyway, so he just enjoyed sharing his stories and memories instead,” another fan wrote on Facebook. “I could understand if that was the case. Maybe he didn’t know anything was wrong, and life just dealt a cruel blow, but I guess we’ll never know for sure.”
After Years of Silence, Richard Simmons Began Writing His Life Story in 2024
Simmons became reclusive after his retirement. After a six-year silence, TMZ produced a documentary in 2022 with theories about why he “disappeared” after being so outgoing and vocal throughout his career. His fans grew increasingly worried about his well-being as a result.
In response to the buzz, his spokesperson, Tom Estey, told the New York Post in August 2022, “Richard is eternally grateful for the continuous outpouring of love and gratitude he has received from across the Globe. He is happy, healthy and living the life he has chosen to live.”
In his last interview, via People, Simmons explained his break from public life by saying, “Well, when I decided to retire, it was because my body told me I needed to retire. I have spent time just reflecting on my life. All of the books I wrote, the videos. I never was like, ‘Oh look what I’ve done.’ My thing was, ‘Oh, look how many people I helped.'”
Simmons told People that despite his public silence, he was still in touch with many fans, attempting to reply to 100 emails a day and sometimes even calling people who’d written about deep sadness or tragedies in their lives.
In early 2024, Simmons re-emerged on social media, much to his fans’ delight. His posts — with photos of disguises and costumes he’d worn over the years as well as stories about his life — became much more frequent in June. During the first half of July, he sometimes posted multiple times a day. His last post was uploaded just hours before his death.
Simmons’ last post on YouTube, meanwhile, was an audio clip he uploaded on July 1, in which he recited a brief poem much like the one he would later share with People, two days before his death.
In the clip, he animatedly said, “Do you need a hug or a kiss on your cheek? Come over here! And please, don’t be meek. I’m here to make you happy and chase your blues away. I am here to stay!”
On July 15, journalist Diane Sawyer told People that, before his death, Simmons had agreed to sit down for an interview with her.
After telling the outlet the two used to have “wonderful conversations,” Sawyer said, “Richard’s last text to me was straight from the (Carole King) song ‘You’ve Got a Friend’ — ‘Whenever you want to talk, just call out my name, and I’ll be there.'”