The Los Angeles County medical examiner has listed Richard Simmons’ cause of death as “deferred” pending investigation after the fitness guru died Saturday.
The medical examiner’s database confirms that Simmons (born Milton Teagle Simmons) was found in his Los Angeles home. It also notes that his body is “ready for release” and the case is currently open.
Sources told The Times on Saturday that there was no evidence of foul play at Simmons’ home. The self-proclaimed Weight Saint and TV personality died a day after his birthday. He was 76.
“I don’t want people to be sad about my brother. I want them to remember him for the genuine joy and love he brought to people’s lives,” Simmons’ brother, Lenny Simmons, wrote in a Facebook post Sunday. “He truly cared about people. He called, wrote, and emailed thousands of people throughout his career to offer help.”
Lenny continued: “Don’t be sad. Celebrate his life!”
Simmons was known for his brightly colored exercise outfits and the energetic exercise-video empire that made him a regular fixture in pop culture in the late 1970s and ’80s. He was also known for appearances in TV and film projects including “CHiPs,” “General Hospital” and “What Women Want.”
“I do consider myself a clown and a court jester, and I do love to make people laugh, whether they’re laughing with me or at me,” he told Men’s Health in 2012. “I just love what I do, and I’m a teacher more than anything.”
Simmons retreated from the public eye in 2014 after undergoing knee surgery but resurfaced years later to deny rumors about his health — including that he was transgender and undergoing gender-affirming surgery to live as a woman.
In 2022, a TMZ documentary reignited speculation about his whereabouts, prompting Simmons to thank his fans for their “kindness and love” in a cheery Facebook post.
Earlier this year, Simmons revealed he had been diagnosed with skin cancer — specifically basal cell carcinoma — and received treatment to remove the cancerous cells. He offered his fans the health update days after raising concerns with a cryptic Facebook post about death. “I am not dying,” he clarified in a separate statement in March.
“It was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have,” he wrote. “Sorry for this confusion. Love, Richard.”
Tom Estey, who represented Simmons for more than 30 years, confirmed to The Times that there will be a public “celebration of life” for the fitness personality, though plans are not yet set in stone.
___
© 2024 Los Angeles Times
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
