Renowned actor Jane Fonda has joined thousands in offering tributes to beloved fitness guru Richard Simmons, reflecting on his generosity.
Simmons sadly passed away on Saturday, July 13 at the age of 76. According to reports, Los Angeles police and fire departments responded to a Los Angeles house where a man was declared dead from natural causes.
As the world mourns his passing, Fonda turned to social media to pay homage to her dear friend and honour his legacy.
“Richard Simmons always wanted people to feel good and be happy. He would go out of his way to make people happy. I often wondered if maybe nobody had made him happy when he was a little boy,” she began.
“He was generous. He gave of himself, of his time, to make people happy. He once popped out of a huge cake at the launch of some Jane Fonda WORKOUT event. That was generous.
“He found out I was in a store where he was so he quickly bought some small trinket and ran across the store, shouting at the top of his lungs in that unmistakable voice, to let me know he was coming. That was generous.
“I saw him last when I took him and a boyfriend of his to lunch at the Polo Lounge. The relationship was new and he was proud. I never saw or heard from him again and, like many thousands of others, I’ve mourned his absence from my life.
“I hope he felt the love so many were sending him these last years. I hope it made him happy. I read he died peacefully in his sleep in his very white home. Rest in Peace, Dear Richard.”
Fans were quick to praise Fonda for her “beautiful” words with many offering their own tributes to the late Simmons.
“This is beautiful, Jane. I read the sweetest tribute he wrote about you on his Facebook just days ago. You could feel in his words how much you meant to him. I am so sorry for your loss,” one fan wrote.
“Such a generous, lovely tribute, Jane. We need more Richard’s in this world who want to spread happiness.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss. May his memory always be a blessing,” commented another.
“This is so beautiful! You can really tell you both cared and appreciated one another. I met him once and he was a gem truly.”
After moving to Los Angeles in the 1970s, Simmons transformed his life and became a fitness guru, shedding 56kg and opening The Anatomy Asylum, later known as Slimmons.
His infectious enthusiasm and commitment to healthy living resonated through The Richard Simmons Show and his iconic Sweatin’ to the Oldies fitness videos, which became popular in the 1980s.
Beyond his exercise studios and fitness videos, Simmons was a regular presence on television, appearing on shows such as General Hospital and Late Night with David Letterman, while also voicing characters in animated series and starring in commercials.