Richard Simmons, the iconic fitness guru of the '70s and '80s, has died at the age of 76.
According to TMZ, police responded to a call from his home by a housekeeper on Saturday morning. He was pronounced dead when they arrived. Police told TMZ that they are investigating Simmons' passing as a natural death and do not suspect foul play.
News of Simmons' death comes after he just thanked his fans for sending him birthday wishes on Friday, July 12
"Thank you...I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life," Simmons wrote on Facebook on his birthday. "I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday. Love, Richard."
Simmons entered the fitness world in the 1970s when he realized that exercise studios catered to fit people rather than unhealthy ones. He opened several gyms before opening his own studio, The Anatomy Asylum, which was later renamed Slimmons.
From there, Simmons gained television exposure, and people bought into his fitness products, which only heightened his popularity. However, the demands of being a celebrity were taxing, and Simmons opted for a more private life.
Earlier this year, rumors swirled that a biopic on Simmons' life was greenlit, but he shot those down, explaining he no longer has a team to be able to do anything of that nature.
"Don’t believe everything you read. I no longer have a manager, and I no longer have a publicist. I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful," he wrote at the time.
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