How did Richard Simmons die? Fitness guru's cause of death revealed a month after his passing

Fitness instructor Richard Simmons' cause of death was recently disclosed around a month after his demise on July 13, 2024. While speaking to People magazine on August 21, a spokesperson for Richard's family, Tom Estey, said that the cause of death was accidental.

Notably, Richard was found dead inside his residence, and Tom's statement reads that he died of "complications from recent falls and heart disease." The details were disclosed by the LA Coroner's office, and the statement continued:

"The toxicology report was negative other than medication Richard had been prescribed. The Family wishes to thank everyone for their outpouring of love and support during this time of great loss."

A law enforcement source spoke to People magazine on July 18, saying that the Los Angeles Police Department was not investigating based on foul play being involved in the matter.

As per reports from July, Richard Simmons fell in the bathroom the previous night, and while he felt dizzy at one point, he decided to visit the doctor the following day. The Medical Examiner’s Office stated that the circumstances leading to his demise were being investigated.

Richard Simmons established an exercise studio named The Anatomy Asylum, which later came to be known as Slimmons. His fitness videos slowly gained recognition among the public, and he was featured on shows such as Super Password and Body Language.

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Richard Simmons shared a few posts on social media before his death

Also known as Milton Teagle "Richard" Simmons, he was 76 years old at the time of his death. Before his demise, Richard shared some posts on his official Facebook account. He thanked everyone for the messages and emails he received on his birthday in one of them. He died a day after turning 76, on July 13, 2024.

In another post shared on July 12, he added a black-and-white picture, where he revealed a few details about his early life and wrote:

"Enclosed in this message is a picture of me turning one. My mom never baked our birthday cakes. She bought them from different bakeries. One year I had a birthday cake that was….well not my style. It was a chocolate cake with cowboys and Indians fighting each other. There was green icing made to look like grass and a white Pickett fence around the whole cake."

Richard's studio was suddenly shut down in 2014, after which he made no public appearances. A friend named Mauro Oliveira claimed in an episode of Missing Richard Simmons in 2017 that he was being reportedly held hostage by housekeeper Teresa Reveles.

Richard Simmons' brother Lenny later appeared for an interview on March 22, 2017, with People magazine, claiming that whatever was being said about his brother, including that he was transitioning into a woman, was not true. Lenny added:

"My wife Cathy and I were out there for Christmas and spent five days with him and I can assure you, he's not transitioning into anything but himself."

Lenny even spoke about the reasons behind Richard maintaining a distance from the spotlight, saying that the latter decided to rest after 40 years and spend some time with himself. Apart from his work in the world of fitness, Richard was the author of multiple books such as The Better Body Book and Cookin' on Broadway.