Richard Simmons' staff shares social media post he wrote before his death
Richard Simmons' staff is sharing a posthumous message from the late fitness guru.
On Saturday, Simmons' staff took to Facebook and X with a social media post that they said the "Sweatin' to the Oldies" star wrote before his death. The post, which Simmons had intended to be shared last weekend, included a photo of him wearing a spacesuit.
"Let me fly you to the moon so we can gaze among the stars," the message read. "Love, Richard."
Simmons' staff explained that the former "Richard Simmons Show" host would pick a photo and caption during the week that would go up over the weekend, meaning he had already written this post before he died on Saturday, July 13. It was meant to be posted on July 14.
"Richard worked very hard on his posts for you," his staff said. "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."
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They added, "So we have the post Richard planned to share with you last Sunday. We thought you'd want to see it."
Simmons, who was known for his home exercise videos and high-energy TV appearances, died just one day after celebrating his 76th birthday. Although he had stepped back from public life in recent years, Simmons continued to communicate with fans on social media.
The best quotesfrom Richard Simmons about life, love and weight loss
In March, he left followers concerned with a reflective social media post that began with, "I have some news to tell you. Please don't be sad. I am …. dying." But he went on to say that "the truth is we all are dying," as "every day we live we are getting closer to our death." At the time, Simmons' representative confirmed to USA TODAY that he was not dying and was "in fact very healthy and happy."
"I want you to enjoy your life to the fullest every single day," Simmons wrote in the March post. "Get up in the morning and look at the sky … count your blessings and enjoy."
That same month, Simmons revealed on social media that he had been diagnosed with skin cancer after noticing a "strange looking bump" under his eye. But he said he was treated by a doctor, who got "all the cancer cells out."
Fitness pioneerRichard Simmons dies one day after 76th birthday
Just two days before his death, Simmons gave a final interview to People magazine.
"Well, when I decided to retire, it was because my body told me I needed to retire," he said in the interview. "I have spent time just reflecting on my life. All of the books I wrote, the videos. I never was like, 'Oh look what I've done.' My thing was, 'Oh, look how many people I helped.'"
In a Facebook post on July 14, Simmons' brother, Lenny, said he didn't want fans "to be sad" about his death.
"I want them to remember him for the genuine joy and love he brought to people’s lives," Lenny Simmons wrote. "He truly cared about people. He called, wrote, and emailed thousands of people throughout his career to offer help. So don't be sad. Celebrate his life!"
Contributing: Edward Segarra, Amanda Lee Myers and Mike Snider