Richard Simmons’ Sudden Death: ‘So Many Unanswered Questions’ Amid Ongoing Investigation

In May — a decade after vanishing from the public eye — Richard Simmons hinted he was poised to make his comeback. “I just got off the phone with a friend who manages famous artists in music,” the beloved fitness guru shared. “She wants to do an interactive Broadway show about my life. I am so excited about the prospect of my own Broadway show. Broadway is in my blood!” After years of dodging the spotlight, an insider exclusively told In Touch at the time, Richard was “finally ready for his second act.”

Less than two months later, he was dead. Richard’s lifeless body was discovered, reportedly by his housekeeper, inside his L.A. home on July 13 — the morning after he celebrated his 76th birthday. His death is currently under investigation, but the last 10 years of the Sweatin’ to the Oldies star’s life also remain a mystery. “He hasn’t been photographed in public for a decade,” says a source. “There are so many unanswered questions, and now he’s taken those secrets to his grave.”

Richard Simmons’ Final Hours

The fitness icon reportedly fell in his bathroom after feeling dizzy the night of July 12. He allegedly brushed off his housekeeper when she told him to seek medical attention, saying he didn’t want to see a doctor that evening since it was his birthday. Then, just before 8 a.m. the next morning, Richard posted a photo of himself on social media alongside lines from the 1964 Barbra Streisand Broadway musical Funny Girl, writing, “Hello gorgeous! Please don’t rain on my parade.” Barely two hours later around 10 a.m., he was found unresponsive, reportedly on the floor next to his bed. Though police say foul play isn’t suspected, after completing an autopsy, the Medical Examiner’s Office stated the cause of death had been deferred pending additional testing.

On February 15, 2014, Richard didn’t show up for the exercise class he’d been teaching three times a week at Slimmons, his Beverly Hills fitness studio, since 1974. Ever since, he’s remained an enigma. “He surrounded himself with very few people. He was a recluse. He didn’t go out in public,” says the source, “so there were many conspiracy theories, including a story that he was being held captive by his housekeeper, which he denied.” Richard also shot down claims he was transgender and had gone into hiding while he transitioned into a woman. Aside from his occasional social media posts — including a March revelation that he’d just successfully been treated for skin cancer — “little is known about his final years,” says the source. That’s how he wanted it. “Richard could have cleared up so much before his death,” says the source, “but he chose not to.”