Richard Simmons spent decades making people smile with his energetic workout videos and sparkly shorts. When he passed away on July 13, 2024, just one day after turning 76, fans around the world mourned the loss of a fitness icon who had touched millions of lives. In the days and weeks following his death, new information emerged that painted a fuller picture of the man behind the rhinestone tank tops. His longtime companion, family members, and final interviews revealed details about his last years that surprised many people who thought they knew everything about him. These revelations showed a side of Richard Simmons that most fans never saw during his decades in the spotlight.
His house manager lived with him for 35 years
Teresa Reveles started working for Richard Simmons in 1986 through an agency, bringing just a small suitcase because she only planned to try the job for two weeks. When she arrived, Simmons told her to get her big suitcase because they would be together until he died. That prediction came true almost four decades later. Reveles was often called his housekeeper in media reports, but she was much more than that. She shopped for him, managed the house and yard, cooked his meals, and became his constant companion. They traveled together to Venice multiple times, ate every meal together, and exercised side by side.
Their relationship was like a platonic marriage in many ways. Simmons would leave notes for her around the house and under her pillow. He loved to hide and jump out to scare her, laughing when she screamed at him. When she found him in his bedroom after he passed away, she noticed his hands were balled into fists, which reminded her of her own heart attack years earlier. Simmons bought two burial plots next to each other, and Reveles initially resisted the idea of being buried next to him instead of with her parents. After his death, she changed her mind and decided to accept his final gesture of companionship.
He gave his first interview in a decade two days before dying
Just 48 hours before his death, Simmons sat down for his first interview in nearly ten years with People magazine. He talked about his life, his fans, and his plans for the future. The interview showed a man who was still connected to the people who had supported him for decades, even though he had stepped away from the public eye. He told the interviewer that he was grateful to live another day and called the day of the interview beautiful. Simmons explained that his daily routine included saying prayers, counting his blessings, and then getting to work answering emails and calling fans who needed extra support.
During the conversation, Simmons pushed back against the idea that he was a legend or icon, saying he never lived a celebrity life or thought of himself that way. He described himself as shy and a bit introverted, explaining that he became a different person when the curtain went up. He shared that he was working on several projects, including an ABC documentary about his life with an interview planned with Diane Sawyer, and a Broadway musical based on his experiences. Later that day, he fell and took to bed, complaining about leg pain. The next morning, on his birthday, he told Reveles his legs hurt too much to go downstairs and refused to go to the hospital on his special day.
He fed wild skunks by hand every night
One of the most charming details that emerged after Simmons died was his nightly ritual with a family of skunks. Every evening, these wild animals would show up at his back door in West Hollywood, and Simmons would feed them peanuts directly from his hand. He got so comfortable with the skunks that they allowed him to touch their noses, which he did regularly despite warnings from Reveles. She would tell him the animals probably had rabies, but he continued the practice anyway. This quirky habit showed a gentle, nurturing side of Simmons that fit perfectly with his personality but was completely unknown to the public.
The skunk feeding was just one example of how Simmons lived his life on his own terms during his years away from the spotlight. While fans wondered what he was doing and why he had disappeared, he was creating simple routines that brought him happiness. Reveles described finding him peaceful when he passed away, and she emphasized multiple times that he died happy. The image of Richard Simmons hand-feeding wild skunks at his back door captures the essence of someone who found joy in unexpected places and maintained his love for all living things, even dangerous wild animals that most people would avoid.
Bad knees forced him into retirement
Many people assumed Simmons disappeared because of some dramatic reason or mysterious circumstance, but the truth was much simpler. His knees gave out after decades of high-impact exercise. Reveles revealed that Simmons had one knee replacement surgery and needed another one, but he kept putting it off. He would tell her that his knees hurt and that he could not exercise or teach his classes anymore. For someone whose entire identity was built around energetic, jumping, high-kicking workout routines, this physical limitation was devastating. In 2014, he finally told Reveles that he could not jump anymore and thought it was time to stop working.
The decision to retire came down to authenticity for Simmons. He told Reveles that if he could not be the Richard his fans knew and loved, then he had to stop being that person publicly. This reasoning made sense for someone who had spent 35 years on the road teaching exercise classes for more than 200 days each year. In his final interview, Simmons explained that his body told him it was time to retire. His brother Lenny confirmed this account, explaining that physical limitations played a major role in his decision to step back from public life and stop doing the work that had defined his career for so many years.
He thought he looked too old for the public
Beyond his knee problems, Simmons struggled with something many people can relate to as they age. He did not like the way he looked anymore and did not want anyone to see him. Reveles laughed as she recalled how Simmons would repeatedly tell her that he did not look beautiful anymore and did not want people to see him. She thought this concern was unnecessary because he looked mostly the same, just a little older with slightly less hair. He maintained roughly the same weight, though he was not as thin as during his peak fame years. This insecurity about aging showed a vulnerable side that contrasted sharply with his confident public persona.
The revelation about Simmons’s appearance concerns helps explain why he became so reclusive during his final decade. When Reveles described his worries, she noted that he would say over and over that he did not want people to see him looking old. This fear kept him inside most of the time, though both Reveles and his brother confirmed he did leave the house regularly. The pressure to maintain a certain image after decades in the spotlight clearly weighed on him, and he chose privacy over continuing to appear publicly in a way that made him uncomfortable. Many people deal with similar feelings about aging, but few face the added pressure of having millions of fans who remember them at their physical peak.
He left the house regularly in disguise
Despite widespread belief that Simmons became a hermit who never left his home, the truth was quite different. He went out all the time, but he wore disguises to avoid being recognized. Reveles confirmed that they would drive around together or walk through the neighborhood, and people on the street would not realize who he was because he would not talk. Simmons would wear a mask, a wig, and glasses to hide his identity. This allowed him to maintain some connection to the outside world while protecting his privacy and avoiding the attention that came with his famous face and distinctive personality.
The disguise strategy worked so well that the public narrative became that Simmons had completely withdrawn from society. In his final interview, he specifically addressed this misconception, telling the reporter that people thought he disappeared but he actually had not. He insisted that he left the house and maintained his connections to the world around him, just in a different way than before. His brother Lenny backed up this account, confirming that Simmons did venture out regularly. The fact that he felt the need to disguise himself speaks to how recognizable he remained even after years away from television and how much he valued being able to move through the world without constant attention from fans and media.
Tabloid photographers put tracking devices on his house manager’s car
The lengths that media outlets went to in trying to get information about Simmons were extreme and invasive. Reveles noticed the same cars following her repeatedly and became concerned. In 2019, she took her vehicle to a mechanic and also contacted police about the situation. What they discovered was shocking: someone had placed two tracking devices deep inside her car engine. The sophisticated technology suggested that whoever was behind the surveillance had significant financial resources. Tabloid photographers would shout insults at her, calling her terrible names to try to get a reaction. They followed her everywhere, hoping she would lead them to Simmons or provide some insight into his life.
This harassment contributed to false narratives about Reveles supposedly keeping Simmons imprisoned in his own home. She knew what people were saying about her and found the accusations hurtful and completely untrue. The media attention turned her into a villain in a story that did not exist. Reveles told reporters that tabloid representatives said crazy things, including claims that she kept him locked up in the house. She refused to talk to them despite constant pressure and antagonizing behavior. The tracking devices represented a serious invasion of privacy and showed how desperate some media outlets were to get any information about the reclusive fitness star, regardless of the methods they used or the people they hurt in the process.
He called and emailed with fans daily
While Simmons stepped away from public appearances, he never actually disconnected from his fans. He spent hours each day reading emails and calling people who reached out to him, especially those dealing with serious health issues or weight struggles. When an email seemed particularly urgent or emotional, he would ask for the person’s phone number and call them directly. He sang to cancer patients and told them they would get through their illness. This one-on-one connection continued throughout his years of public absence, though most people had no idea it was happening because the interactions were private and personal rather than broadcast on social media or television.
In his final interview, Simmons made a point of clarifying that he had not disappeared the way people assumed. He wanted everyone to know that he was still working, just in a different format. Instead of teaching classes to hundreds of people at once or appearing on television shows, he focused on individual connections with fans who needed help. He told the interviewer that he had been calling fans every day and answering their emails throughout his time away from the spotlight. This revelation showed that his commitment to helping people never wavered, even as he changed the methods he used to provide that support. The personal approach may have reached fewer people, but it likely had a deeper impact on those who received his calls and messages.
His staff shared a final post he prepared before dying
Richard Simmons was meticulous about his social media presence, even during his reclusive years. He would write posts in advance, carefully editing them until they were exactly what he wanted before scheduling them to go live. On the Friday before his death, he prepared a post intended for Sunday, July 14, 2024. His staff later shared this final message with his followers, explaining that Simmons worked hard on his posts and often prepared content ahead of time, going back to make changes until everything was perfect. The post featured a photo of Simmons wearing an orange NASA spacesuit, staying true to his signature style of fun, themed pictures.
The caption he wrote for that final post was simple but touching: “Let me fly you to the moon so we can gaze among the stars. Love, Richard.” His staff published the message on Saturday, July 20, giving fans one last piece of content that Simmons himself had created and approved. The poetic nature of the message, combined with the space theme, felt appropriate for someone who had just left this world. It served as a gentle goodbye from a man who spent his career trying to lift people up and make them feel special, maintaining that mission literally until his final days on earth.
Richard Simmons lived his last years on his own terms, surrounded by people who cared about him and doing work that mattered to him. The details that emerged after his death revealed a man who was more complex and vulnerable than his public persona suggested, but also someone who remained committed to helping others even when he was no longer in the spotlight. His story reminds us that public figures are real people with real struggles, insecurities, and choices about how they want to spend their time. Simmons chose privacy, personal connections, and simple pleasures like feeding skunks over fame, and that decision allowed him to find happiness in his final decade.
