Inside Richard Simmons’ Final Days After Leaving Public Life: ‘I Have Been Through a Lot’

Last March, after he revealed he had been diagnosed with skin cancer, Richard Simmons responded to a get-well message from Closer. “I feel good,” he said via email. “I have been through a lot. But now all I see are beautiful bright rainbows. Say hello to your [readers] for me and thank them for their concern.”

The approachability of Richard, who died at his home one day after his 76th birthday, made him feel like an old friend. He aimed to inspire with the story of his own journey. “I think I’m just a good example of a chubby, fat, unhappy kid who lived in New Orleans, Louisiana, and dreamed, and now all my dreams are coming true,” said the fitness star, who opened his first aerobics studio in Los Angeles in the 1970s.

Within a decade, Richard became a familiar face on TV and radio promoting the then-radical concept that anyone, no matter how old or sedentary, could improve their life. “If you watch your portions and you have a good attitude and you work out every day, you’ll live longer, feel better and look terrific,” he said in 2005.

With an exuberant, over-the-top persona, sequined tank tops and campy jokes, Richard also made exercise feel fun and inclusive. His Sweatin’ to the Oldies video series, which featured Richard working out with a group of ordinary-looking people, sold millions.

Richard Simmons’ Quieter Life

In 2014, Richard walked away from public life. “When I decided to retire, it was because my body told me I needed to retire,” he said. “I have spent time just reflecting on my life.”

He said he planned to celebrate his July 12 birthday by blowing out a candle on a zucchini. “OK, fine. Maybe one Pepperidge Farm Milano cookie,” Richard confided. “But just one.”