The cause of death for iconic exercise guru Richard Simmons was announced Wednesday by his brother, Lenny.
Simmons died on July 13 at 76 last month due to “complications from recent falls and heart disease,” according to the New York Post.
The fitness star’s brother said he was contacted about the matter by the LA coroner’s office on Wednesday morning.
Richard Simmons’ cause of death at 76 revealed by his brother Lenny https://t.co/IiREmEqcP0 pic.twitter.com/LzlOFvbzrL
— New York Post (@nypost) August 21, 2024
“The coroner informed Lenny that Richard’s death was accidental due to complications from recent falls and heart disease as a contributing factor,” said family spokesperson Tom Estey. “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,” Estey added.
According to his housekeeper, Teresa Reveles, Simmons had suffered a bad fall on July 11, only a few days before his death. He reportedly refused to seek medical care for his injuries.
Reveles said that Simmons said that he wanted to wait until after his July 12 birthday to seek medical care, but by then he had passed away.
The 1980s icon had spent much of the last few years out of the public eye. Indeed, in 2023, when a biopic starring comedian Pauly Shore was released, Simmons admitted that he no longer had an agent or manager and was then “just trying to live a quiet life and be peaceful.”
Reveles added that Simmons retired from teaching fitness classes because he was no longer able to “be himself” due to his deteriorating physical condition.
But Lenny hopes people will celebrate his brother’s life and legacy and not feel sad.
“I don’t want people to be sad about my brother,” Lenny 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.”
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