Self-made fitness guru Richard Simmons died Saturday in Los Angeles at the age of 76.
Simmons, best known for his eccentric “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” fitness videos in the 1970s and ‘80s, is believed to have died from natural causes, according to reports. He celebrated his 76th birthday on Friday, thanking fans for their well wishes. His last Facebook post came just before 11 a.m. EDT Saturday.
Fellow fitness icon Denise Austin offered condolences to her “dear friend in colleague” in a Facebook post on Saturday.
“Every time we were together we had so much fun… filled with hugs, laughter and tears.. ill never forget Richard singing through the hallways, hugging my daughters, and even to sending me a letter when my mom passed,” Austin wrote. “I cherished our friendship- and I can’t believe I just reached out less than a month ago. Richard- you have left an impact on us all. Thank you for all your love.”
Simmons, who went by the alias “The Weight Saint” on social media, announced he had been diagnosed with skin cancer in March. In the same month, he shared that he was “dying,” which he walked back later in the day.
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“I have some news to tell you,” Simmons wrote. “Please don’t be sad. I am ….dying. Oh I can see your faces now. The truth is we all are dying. Every day we live we are getting closer to our death.”
He clarified the post later that day, saying he was not dying and that “it was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have.”
