Richard Simmons had been making a gradual return to the public eye when he died suddenly on Saturday, July 13, just one day after celebrating his 76th birthday. The beloved fitness guru had been regularly sharing messages with fans on social media, even if he hadn't been seen or photographed in more than a decade.
But that was about to change, as Simmons' staff revealed a rare photo that he had apparently been planning to share with fans the day after he suddenly died.
"Richard worked very hard on his posts for you," an employee posted to social media over the weekend. "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."
The post continued, explaining that Simmons would regularly share a photo with a caption on weekends, and that he would always have his weekend content prepared by Friday.
"So we have the post Richard planned to share with you last Sunday. We thought you’d want to see it," the post added. "Here is the post Richard had planned for you for Sunday July 14, 2024."
Although the images Simmons shared were typically throwbacks, the image that had had been planning to share with fans appeared to be newer, showing him with short white hair and wearing an orange NASA jumpsuit. "Let me fly you to the moon so we can gaze among the stars," he had planned on captioning the photo, signing off with his usual "Love, Richard."
Simmons' cause of death is currently being investigated, although authorities don't suspect foul play was involved. According to initial reports, he had been found by a housekeeper after allegedly falling in his bathroom, though no other details have come to surface.
Even more tragic, when Simmons passed away, he had been planning a comeback, which he revealed in an interview just two days before his death.
"I know people miss me. And you know what? I miss them, too," he told People. "But I'm able to reach them through phone calls…and through emails. And I do leave the house sometimes. But I'm in disguise."
"I've written 14 songs for a Broadway show,” Simmons said of his upcoming plans. "And I'm working with an amazing man—Patrick Leonard. I don't know if you know his name, but he wrote music for Madonna, Elton John. He's like one of the biggest."
With any luck, someone will be able to take the reins and release Simmons' final endeavor posthumously, if that would have been his wishes.
