Richard Simmons’ team reveals final message he wanted to share with fans

( WJW ) – Richard Simmons’ team recently revealed a social media post that he drafted but never got a chance to share with fans before his death.

The eccentric fitness icon passed away on July 13 at his home in Los Angeles, just one day after his 76th birthday. Police said no foul play was suspected, per TMZ , which first reported his death.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, his staff shared a bittersweet message that Simmons had planned for July 14.

“Richard worked very hard on his posts for you. He had many ideas and would work ahead…going back to each one making changes until he had it just like he wanted before posting,” his team wrote. “We have the post Richard planned to share with you last Sunday. We thought you’d want to see it.”

The planned post features an image of Simmons in an orange NASA spacesuit. His photo caption reads, “Let me fly you to the moon so we can gaze among the stars. Love, Richard.”

“And so he did. Fly high,” Canadian country musician Drake Jensen wrote , a sentiment shared among many in the comment section.

“He was such a kind and caring man and is missed so much. Thank you so much for sharing this,” one fan replied .

Simmons had stepped away from the spotlight in recent years, but still posted on social media from time to time. Earlier this year, he opened up about a previous skin cancer diagnosis , though it’s unclear whether the condition contributed to his death.

Authorities previously said he appeared to die from natural causes, but the exact cause of death is under investigation, NBC News and PEOPLE reported.

Simmons was laid to rest in a private funeral in Los Angeles on Friday.

WJW’s Laura Morrison contributed to this story.

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