RICHARD Simmons’ team is keeping his legacy strong, sharing the last message and a recent photo of himself the star had prepared for fans.
On Saturday, Richard’s team released the final, pre-approved post the late fitness guru wrote before dying at age 76.
Richard tragically died at 76 on Saturday, August 13.
But fans may not know that his inspiring weekly X posts were pre-written and then shared by his team.
He had one more social media post in store, which has now been shared posthumously.
His team explained that the post was initially prepared for last Sunday, a day after his death, and was written last Friday- one day before his death.
The post has now been shared, marking the last social media message from the late star.
‘WORKED VERY HARD ON HIS POSTS’
“Richard worked very hard on his posts for you,” Simmons’ team explained on Saturday on his X profile.
“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.
“As you know, on the weekends, he would just share a photo with a caption. He always chose his photos and wrote his captions for the upcoming weekend by Friday.
“So we have the post Richard planned to share with you last Sunday. We thought you’d want to see it,” they added.
‘LOVE, RICHARD’
The team then shared Simmons’ planned July 14 post, a photo of him in a NASA spacesuit, standing in front of a red rock backdrop.
He looked unrecognizable with grey hair and a slightly thinner face than many may recall, but also triumphant and naturally happy.
“Let me fly you to the moon so we can gaze among the stars. Love, Richard,” the caption read.
‘BEAUTIFUL SOUL’
Fans were moved by the post and expressed their love in the replies.
“Thank you. This makes me want to cry. Thank you,” one user wrote.
“Thank you for posting this! It will be nice to have a memory of him in his later years,” wrote another.
“You looked fabulous!” wrote a third.
“Such a beautiful soul, inside and out. …see you in the stars, Richard,” wrote a fourth.
The photo was indeed rare as Richard spent much of his last decade completely out of the spotlight.
ICON GONE
Ricard suddenly died last Saturday, July 20, 2024.
Police were reportedly called to his home in Los Angeles around 10 am when the housekeeper discovered Simmons on the floor, according to TMZ.
He was pronounced dead on the scene.
Investigators said they did not see any signs of foul play, although they confirmed that he had a fall last night that could be related to his death.
Police have since confirmed the death did not involve foul play.
Best known for his colorful fitness classes shared on tapes and DVDs during the 1980s, Simmons was beloved for his cheery outlook on life and boundless energy.
Simmons received a cancer diagnosis earlier this year and shared the devastating news with fans in March.
A TIME FOR EVERYTHING
Simmons announced that he was “dying” in a Facebook post — which scared some fans — but characteristically told everyone to keep enjoying their lives nonetheless.
“I have some news to tell you,” he wrote.
“Please don’t be sad. I am… dying. Oh I can see your faces now. The truth is we are all dying. Every day we live we are getting closer to our death.”
“Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to enjoy your life and to the fullest every single day,” he said.
He later gave more details about his Basal cell carcinoma — the most common form of skin cancer.
Simmons said he went to see a dermatologist after finding a bump under his eye that wouldn’t go away.
“Now I am getting a little bit nervous. He comes back about 20 minutes later and says the C word. ‘You have cancer,'” he recalled.
“I asked him what kind of cancer and he said. Basal Cell Carcinoma. I told him to stop calling me dirty names. He laughed.”
OUT OF THE LIMELIGHT
Despite his huge popularity in the ’80s and ’90s, Simmons eventually took a break from public appearances around 2014.
Rumors have circulated at decades about what could be the cause, culminating in a 2022 documentary entitled, What Really Happened to Richard Simmons?
The film claimed that Simmons suffered from a birth defect in his foot that affected him physically and mentally, requiring him to slow down.
Despite the cancer diagnosis, Simmons still had big plans for the upcoming year.
He had already begun work on a Broadway musical with acclaimed producer Patrick Leonard who previously worked with stars like Madonna and Michael Jackson, according to Fox News.
