The Tragic Truth About Richard Simmons

If you were around in the '80s, there's a good chance you know who Richard Simmons is. He rose to fame with his hit workout video "Sweatin' to the Oldies," where he showcased his high-energy, positive personality. The fun-loving fitness icon was always seen in his uniform of a bedazzled tank and striped Dolphin shorts — and any time he made a television appearance, he brought the fun. While visiting "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" back in 2003, he showed up wearing his typical outfit of choice and told her, "This is my uniform. You know, Batman has a uniform, and then Superman has a uniform, and this is mine."

It wasn't hard not to get caught up by Simmons' infectious laughter, but many fans may be surprised to know that he wasn't always so happy. In fact, the motivation for his wanting to help people stemmed from his childhood during which he struggled with his weight and had an unhealthy relationship with food. Although he overcame obesity and eventually became one of the most successful exercise personalities, his troubles continued to follow him throughout his life.

Behind every funnyman is a sad story, and many fans had grown to care deeply about Richard Simmons because his past was riddled with tragedy. The New Orleans native was just 5 years old when he learned he was bigger than other kids his age, per the Tampa Bay Times. When his mother took him clothes shopping and the salesman pointed them toward the husky-sized clothes, Simmons was confused and asked his mom if she was getting him a dog. "The salesman overheard me and laughed ... 'You don't understand; husky is a size in clothing for boys who are bigger than average,'" Simmons recounted. At school, he noticed that kids would whisper about him behind his back, which made him self-conscious.

Things got worse as Simmons got older. "You could always tell sometimes at school when he was younger he would try to hold back tears. I felt for him, the boys would just pick up on him because of his weight and during gym class and stuff," his friend Antoinette DiPiazza shared with People. New Orleans was full of delicious food and Simmons would eat as a way of coping. By the time he graduated high school, he was close to 300 pounds. Eventually, he was motivated to lose weight, but he didn't always do it the healthy way.

Richard Simmons' road to a fit life wasn't easy. He was first jarred into losing weight after he found a note on his car in 1968 that stated, "Dear Richard: Fat people die young. Please don't die," per People. He revealed that he did whatever it took to lose weight, which included diet pills, not eating enough, and exercising compulsively. He lost more than 100 pounds in less than three months, which came with its consequences. "I ended up looking like a thin Glad bag. My hair fell out, my skin drooped, my breath was foul and my mood matched," Simmons stated.

The note did a number on Simmons. He shared with Oprah Winfrey, "At a certain point, I was very afraid to eat because I was very afraid to die and so I stopped eating and I got to 119 pounds and I ended up in the hospital." His relationship with food also suffered, "Like, when I saw spaghetti, I saw worms. I mean, I started picturing food as an enemy," he told her. Simmons admitted that he was a compulsive eater and even showed his sense of humor during the difficult conversation. "I came out of my mother's womb with a fork. And was my first word mom or dad? Buffet," he declared.

In his memoir, "Still Hungry After All These Years," Richard Simmons opened up about the tragic death of his father, Leonard Simmons, in 1982. As recounted by Richard, Leonard had planned surgery to remove a kidney stone at 85 years old, which had the fitness instructor worried. His father ended up with major complications from the surgery and Richard's brother urged him to visit Leonard at the hospital in New Orleans. His father was ultimately discharged and asked Richard to fly to Rome and pray with the pope, but sadly, Leonard died a few months later.

Richard also lost his mother, Shirley Simmons, 17 years later after she contracted pneumonia at the age of 87. Prior to her death, Richard visited her frequently in New Orleans. "Sometimes I'd order food from the Rib Room at the Royal Orleans Hotel or from Arnaud's, and we'd all have a fabulous dinner together," he wrote in his book (via The Historic New Orleans Collection). In 2013, he shared a picture of himself holding up feathered fans on Facebook. "In honor of my mom Shirley, who was a fan dancer in the '30s! Miss you, Shirley XO," he wrote.

During his career, Richard Simmons traveled across the country for appearances while running his Beverly Hills fitness studio Slimmons, but in 2014, he abruptly halted contact with the outside world. According to TMZ, a source shared that Simmons was depressed about an impending knee replacement surgery and was told by doctors that if he didn't go through with it, he wouldn't be able to work out. The insider revealed that Simmons tried other non-invasive procedures but it simply didn't work.

However, in the documentary, "TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons," a TMZ editor stated, "Something that happened to him at birth is directly connected to his disappearance — a birth defect that significantly affected one of his legs. He was born without a full set of bones in his foot and it causes physical and emotional problems." Amid rumors that he was being held hostage by his housekeeper or under the spell of witchcraft, Simmons spoke to ET two years after his disappearance. "No, I'm not kidnapped, I'm under no spell. Sometimes, we get lost in our sadness," he said over the phone. As for being kept under lock and key by his staff, Simmons reassured ET that his housekeeper had been with him for 30 years and was like family to him. He stated that he simply wanted to take time to take care of himself and confirmed that he had knee surgery that was "very difficult" for him. "No one should be worried about me," Simmons added.

Before his disappearance, Richard Simmons was teaching workout classes at Slimmons. In a 2012 interview with Men's Health, he revealed that he led 85-minute classes three times a week. "I teach a pretty hard class. They're going to do 800 leg lifts and 300 jumping jacks. They're going to do toning for their whole upper body. They're going to do stretches. They're going to do a complete workout and burn hundreds of calories and feel good about themselves," he boasted. However, he also shared that his success comes with a price. "Walking down the street and having people come up to you and hug you and tell you that you're ... doing good work. I have a difficult time with it. It can make you feel crazy sometimes," Simmons stated.

Years after Simmons vanished from the spotlight, his former client Marie Garofalo told People that he started acting bizarrely during workout classes. "It would be a whole big deal for him to come in [to the class ], and he would take like 20 minutes to change and get ready. So there was that part of it. Then he would be doing the cool down and would just burst out crying," she stated. Garofalo continued, "There were lots of regulars who were there every week, and we all just saw him deteriorate." Simmons abruptly stopped coming to his gym in 2014 without any notice to the members and Slimmons has remained closed since.

Richard Simmons may be living his life in seclusion now but he regularly shares updates on his Facebook page. On March 19, 2024, he announced that he had been diagnosed with skin cancer after failing to self-treat a bump under his right eye. His dermatologist instructed Simmons to see a specialist, who then attempted to burn the cancer off. The doctor told him, "Come back in an hour and a half and see if I got it all out." Unfortunately, the cancer was still present and he had to go through the procedure once more. The following day, Simmons gave an update and shared that the doctor was able to remove all the cancer cells. With fans worrying about his health, Simmons clarified that the diagnosis was years ago. "The reason I wrote these two messages is that if you see a spot on your body please go to your doctor ... so they can diagnose it right away. I guess I should be more careful about what I write about," he stated on Facebook.

Simmons' posts came days after he told followers, "I have some news to tell you. Please don't be sad. I am ....dying." He then backtracked by explaining that all humans are dying, and the point is to treat life as though it is precious. He confirmed his intentions with another statement: "Sorry many of you have gotten upset about my message today. Even the press has gotten in touch with me. I am not dying. It was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have. Sorry for this confusion."

Although Richard Simmons' cancer reveal sparked concern about his prognosis, he appeared to be doing well ahead of his 76th birthday on July 12, 2024. As he told People in an exclusive interview published that day, "I feel good! I am grateful that I'm here, that I am alive for another day. I'll spend my birthday doing what I do every day, which is to help people." Thus, it was unexpected to learn that, the following day, on July 13, Simmons was found dead at his home in Los Angeles. TMZ reported Simmons fell in his bathroom, but could not confirm if that's where his housekeeper discovered the fitness icon. Regardless, the LAPD declared there was no foul play involved.

Still, the news was a major blow to fans who were shocked to learn of his passing. Even the star's older brother, Lenny, was surprised to hear of his death, as he told People Simmons was "excited about all of his upcoming ventures he was working on." Yet, despite the sad news, Lenny encouraged fans to honor Simmons' memory by holding tight to the joy he brought others during his decades-long career. "I don't want people to be sad about my brother," he said. "I want them to remember him for the genuine joy and love he brought to people's lives. He truly cared about people. He called, wrote and emailed thousands of people throughout his career to offer help... So don't be sad. Celebrate his life."