The sudden death of the fitness icon Richard Simmons is under investigation by the medical examiner, according to the Los Angeles police department (LAPD).
No foul play is suspected, but the police case will not be closed until a formal cause of death is established by the medical examiner’s investigation, which could take several weeks as lab tests are conducted.
“We are awaiting the final cause of death ruling from the coroner’s office before we can officially close the case,” Norma Eisenman, public information officer for the LAPD said Tuesday.
“There is no foul play,” the LAPD said.
Simmons died on Saturday, the day after celebrating his 76th birthday. First responders attended a 911 call by his housekeeper, and Simmons was pronounced dead at the scene, reportedly for “natural causes”.
His death shocked fans. It came a day after Simmons had thanked them for their good wishes on social media.
“Thank you ... I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life,” Simmons wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday.”
Questions about the whereabouts and wellbeing of the former celebrity fitness coach had circulated over the past decade after Simmons disappeared from public life following four decades in the spotlight.
In March, Simmons revealed that he had been diagnosed with skin cancer, underneath his eye. In the same month, he posted on social media that “I am … dying. The truth is we all are dying. Everyday we live we are getting closer to our death.”
He later clarified that he was not dying, and that his words were intended to be inspirational to his fans.
Simmons first rose to fame in the 1970s with The Richard Simmons Show, which won two Daytime Emmys for best direction and best talkshow. He became a household name in the 1980s thanks to his goofy and beguiling Sweatin’ to the Oldies workout videos that appealed to regular Americans who felt excluded from Hollywood fitness chic and overly competitive gyms.
After becoming the most recognizable face of fitness, weight loss and healthy living in the US, Simmons later dabbled in activism, which included supporting non-competitive physical education in public schools.
In an interview with People magazine days before his death, Simmons said he was “grateful” to be alive and that he was “proud” of having brought conversations about fitness and healthy living into the mainstream.
