, the goofy clown prince of fitness who turned his passion for weight loss into riches and fame as a Hollywood celebrity, has died. He was 76. Simmons died Saturday, the day after his birthday, law enforcement sources , which reported that police and fire personnel responded to a call from his housekeeper at his home just before 10 a.
m. reached out to the LAPD, which said it responded to a call at that time and address and that “an investigation is still being conducted.” The star of his own syndicated TV exercise show in the sold millions of aerobics “ ‘ to the Oldies” videos and DVDs.
At his peak, Simmons, who sported too-short shorts and a sparkly tank top with Swarovski crystals during his workouts, flew around the country making motivational speeches and conducting fitness classes for rapt fans. In 1980, he published , a huge best-seller that had chapters like “Coming to Grips With Your Hips” and “How to Eat Out and Not Pig Out.” Simmons went on to appear as himself on such series as , , , and and was a frequent guest/foil on and on David Letterman’s late night talk shows.
Later, he voiced the character Coach Salmons on the 2010-12 Disney Channel animated series . Simmons was born Milton Simmons in New Orleans on July 12, 1948, grew up in the French Quarter and sold pralines on the street. He was overweight as a kid and said he weighed nearly 270 pounds when he graduated high school.
After spending some time in Europe, he said that he found an anonymous note on the windshield of his car in 1968 that read: “Dear Richard: Fat people die young. Please don’t die.” Simmons vowed to get in shape and, at 5-foot-7, got down to about 150 pounds.
He headed west and brought his weight-loss message to Beverly Hills, opening a combination exercise studio (Anatomy Asylum) and restaurant ( ) in 1974. His clientele included Barbra , Dustin Hoffman, Cheryl Ladd, Diana Ross and Paul Newman. In , Simmons shuttered the studio, most recently called .
“The studio is where my whole career started,” he wrote on his website. “I began doing local shows in the city. And then I got my big break to play myself on .
” Five months earlier, Simmons was transported from his home to a hospital by ambulance after the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a 911 call. He said later that he was dehydrated and told his fans not to worry about his health. had reported in March 2016 that he was being held against his will in his home.
But Simmons, who hadn’t been seen in public in about two years, denied that on the show. “No one is holding me in my house as a hostage,” he said. In January, Simmons said of his life that Pauly Shore would star in.
“I have never given my permission for this movie,” he said. On the eve of his death, he was on Facebook, for their birthday wishes. “Thank you .
.. I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life!” he wrote.
“I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday.” THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day More from The Hollywood Reporter.
