Richard Simmons, television91裸聊视频檚 hyperactive court jester of physical fitness who built a mini-empire in his trademark tank tops and short shorts by urging the overweight to exercise and eat better, died Saturday. He turned 76 on Friday.

Los Angeles police and fire departments say they responded to a Los Angeles house where a man was declared dead from natural causes. Neither provided a name, but The Associated Press matched the address and age to Simmons through public records.

TMZ was first to report his death, which has also been reported by other outlets citing unnamed Simmons representatives.

Simmons, who had revealed a skin diagnosis in March 2024, had lately dropped out of sight, sparking speculating about his health and well-being.

Simmons was a former 268-pound teen who shared his hard-won weight-loss tips as host of the Emmy-winning daytime 91裸聊视频淩ichard Simmons Show,91裸聊视频� author of best-selling books and the diet plan Deal-A-Meal, as well as opening exercise studios and starring in millions of exercise videos, including the successful 91裸聊视频淪weatin91裸聊视频� to the Oldies91裸聊视频� line.

91裸聊视频淢y food plan and diet are just two words 91裸聊视频� common sense. With a dash of good humor,91裸聊视频� he told The Associated Press in 1982. 91裸聊视频淚 want to help people and make the world a healthier, happy place.91裸聊视频�

Simmons embraced mass communication to get his message out, even as he eventually became the butt of jokes for his outfits and flamboyant flair. He was a guest on TV shows led by Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas and Phil Donahue. But David Letterman would prank him and Howard Stern would tease him until he cried. He was mocked in Neil Simon91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淭he Goodbye Girl91裸聊视频� on Broadway in 1993, and Eddie Murphy put on white makeup and dressed like him in 91裸聊视频淭he Nutty Professor,91裸聊视频� screaming 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 a pony!91裸聊视频�

Asked if he thought he could motivate people by being silly, Simmons answered, 91裸聊视频淚 think there91裸聊视频檚 a time to be serious and a time to be silly. It91裸聊视频檚 knowing when to do it. I try to have a nice combination. Being silly cures depression. It catches people off guard and makes them think. But in between that silliness is a lot of seriousness that makes sense. It91裸聊视频檚 a different kind of training.91裸聊视频�

Simmons91裸聊视频� daytime show was seen on 200 stations in America, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan and South America. His first book, 91裸聊视频淣ever Say Diet,91裸聊视频� was a smash best seller.

He was known to counsel the severely obese, including Rosalie Bradford, who held records for being the world91裸聊视频檚 heaviest woman, and Michael Hebranko, who credited Simmons for helping him lose 700 pounds. Simmons put real people 91裸聊视频� chubby, balding or non-telegenic 91裸聊视频� in his exercise videos to make the fitness goals seem reachable.

Throughout his career, Simmons was a reliable critic of fad diets, always emphasizing healthy eating and exercise plans. 91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檒l always be some weird thing about eating four grapes before you go to bed, or drinking a special tea, or buying this little bean from El Salvador,91裸聊视频� he told the AP in 2005 as the Atkins diet craze swept the country. 91裸聊视频淚f you watch your portions and you have a good attitude and you work out every day you91裸聊视频檒l live longer, feel better and look terrific.91裸聊视频�

Simmons was a native of New Orleans, a chubby boy named Milton by his parents. (He renamed himself 91裸聊视频淩ichard91裸聊视频� around the age of 10 to improve his self-image). He would tell people he ate to excess because he believed his parents liked his older brother more. He was teased by schoolmates and ballooned to almost 200 pounds.

Simmons told the AP his mother watched exercise guru Jack LaLanne91裸聊视频檚 TV show religiously when he was growing up, but he wasn91裸聊视频檛 crazy about the fitness fanatic. 91裸聊视频淚 hated him,91裸聊视频� Simmons said. 91裸聊视频淚 wasn91裸聊视频檛 ready for his message because he was fit and he was healthy and he had such a positive attitude, and I was none of those things.91裸聊视频�

Simmons went to Italy as a foreign exchange student and ended up doing peanut butter commercials and bacchanalian eating scenes for director Federico Fellini in his film 91裸聊视频淔ellini Satyricon.91裸聊视频� He told the AP: 91裸聊视频淚 was fat, had curly hair. The Italians thought I was hysterical. I was the life of the party.91裸聊视频�

His life changed after getting an anonymous letter. 91裸聊视频淥ne dark, rainy day I went to my car and found a note. It said, 91裸聊视频楧ear Richard, you91裸聊视频檙e very funny, but fat people die young. Please don91裸聊视频檛 die.91裸聊视频� He was so stunned that he went on the starvation diet that left him thin but very ill.

After the crash diet he gained back 65 pounds. Eventually, he was able to devise a sensible plan to take off the pounds and keep them off. 91裸聊视频淚 went into the business because I couldn91裸聊视频檛 find anything I liked,91裸聊视频� he said.

When Simmons hadn91裸聊视频檛 been seen in public for several years, some news outlets speculated that he was being held hostage in his own house. In telephone interviews with 91裸聊视频淓ntertainment Tonight91裸聊视频� and the 91裸聊视频淭oday91裸聊视频� show, Simmons refuted the claims and told his fans he was enjoying the time by himself. Filmmaker-writer Dan Taberski, one of his regular students, launched a podcast in 2017 called 91裸聊视频淢issing Richard Simmons.91裸聊视频�

In 2022, Simmons broke his six-year silence, with his spokesperson telling The New York Post that the beloved fitness icon was 91裸聊视频渓iving the life he has chosen.91裸聊视频�

___ Mark Kennedy is at

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Associated Press writers Stefanie Dazio and Andrew Dalton contributed from Los Angeles.

Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press