Richard Simmons’ Brother Tells Fans ‘Don’t Be Sad’ After Fitness Guru’s Passing: ‘Celebrate His Life!’

On Sunday morning, Simmons’ brother, Lenny, shared a touching statement on the late TV personality’s X account.

“Hello Everyone,” the message began. “I don’t want people to be sad about my brother. I want them to remember him for the genuine joy and love he brought to people’s lives. 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!” Lenny added. “He was very excited about all of the upcoming ventures he was working on. We are in shock. Please respect the family at this difficult time.”

On Saturday, TMZ reported that Simmons had passed away at the age of 76.

Sources told the outlet that law enforcement responded after receiving a call from Simmons’ housekeeper Saturday morning. He was pronounced dead at the scene. TMZ said authorities do not suspect foul play.

The news of Simmons’ death came just one day after he celebrated his 76th birthday. He expressed his gratitude after fans sent him well wishes on his birthday.

“Thank you…I never got so many messages  about my birthday in my life!” he wrote on Friday afternoon. “I am sitting here writing  emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday.  Love, Richard.”

Following the sad news of his passing, fans and celebrities took to social media to pay tribute and honor Simmons.

Fellow fitness icon and actress Jane Fonda shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, remembering Simmons for his generosity and bringing happiness to others.

“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 in her lengthy post, which featured a throwback photo of herself and Simmons together.

“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,” she continued. “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.”

Fonda said she last saw Simmons when they went out to lunch with the late star and his boyfriend. “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,” she wrote.

“I hope he felt the love so many were sending him these last years. I hope it made him happy,” she concluded. “I read he died peacefully in his sleep in his very white home. Rest in Peace, Dear Richard.”

Pauly Shore — who is set to play Simmons in a biopic — reacted to the news of Simmons’ passing on Instagram, writing, “I just got word like everyone else that the beautiful Richard Simmons has passed. I hope you’re at peace and twinkling up in the heavens. Please give my mother Mitzi and my father Sammy a big hug and a kiss for me. You’re one of a kind, Richard. An amazing life. An amazing story. They broke the dolphin shorts when they made you. Rest in peace, my friend. Rest in peace.”

Film and TV critic Richard Roeper posted a heartfelt tribute on X.

“Richard Simmons preached exercise, diet and most of all kindness. He positively impacted thousands and thousands of lives,” he wrote. “I’m one of the hundreds and hundreds of TV people who basked in his energy and readily accepted those crazy hugs. Rest well.”

Meanwhile, the sad news of Simmons’ death came just hours after another 80s icon passed away. On Saturday, it was reported that renowned sex therapist Ruth Westheimer — known as “Dr. Ruth” — died at 96.

The talk show host and sex expert passed away at her home in New York City on Friday night, her publicist told TMZ. Her cause of death was not shared.

Like Simmons, Hollywood and beyond mourned Dr. Ruth’s death on social media.

Adam Sander wrote, “Always loved Dr. Ruth. Going to miss her a lot. She always made us smile. Sending love to her family and thanks for everything.”

“She was honest, she was funny and she was smart,” actress Marlee Matlin said of Dr. Ruth. “Best of all she was the nicest. May her memory be a blessing to her family and all who had the pleasure of knowing her. RIP Dr. Ruth Westheimer.”

Many fans — who grew up with both Dr. Ruth and Simmons in the 80s and 90s — expressed their sadness that the world lost both icons within 24 hours.

“Richard Simmons and Dr Ruth on the same day makes it a rough one on us Gen X’ers. 2 of our pop culture icons as kids,” a fan wrote, while another said, “Sad day for my young self. RIP Richard Simmons and Dr. Ruth.”

Producer Patrick Scott Patterson wrote, “Wow. Dr. Ruth and Richard Simmons both passed away today. I’m hard pressed to think of two people who got more air time helping people in the 1980s and 1990s than these two icons. Truly and end of an era type day. Thoughts with their family and friends today.”

See more tributes for Simmons and Dr. Ruth in the posts, below.