Richard Simmons candidly opened up about life, loss and grief in an intensive interview simply days earlier than his stunning dying at age 76.
“How do you cope with loss? It takes a toll in your coronary heart,” Simmons shared in an interview with Individuals printed on Monday, July 15. “Some shed many tears, others stare on the sky. It’s so exhausting to say goodbye. Here’s what I do know when it’s time for us to go, lovely angels will greet us with a smile and a hiya.”
The health guru, who famously retreated from the general public eye in 2014, added that whereas he is aware of folks “miss” him, he “misses them too.”
Regardless of being “in disguise,” Simmons famous that he nonetheless reaches followers by way of telephone calls and emails.
“After I determined to retire, it was as a result of my physique advised me I wanted to retire,” he defined to the outlet. “I’ve hung out simply reflecting on my life. The entire books I wrote, the movies. I by no means was like, ‘Oh look what I’ve carried out.’ My factor was, ‘Oh, look how many individuals I helped.’”
Simmons died in his Los Angeles residence on Saturday, July 13, simply two days after his 76th birthday. He was pronounced useless on the scene by authorities and his dying is believed to be from pure causes.
He even shared a birthday message and despatched gratitude to his followers on Fb.
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Richard Simmons. Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
“So lots of you’ve gotten despatched me birthday needs on my Fb and different platforms,” he shared. “I actually recognize that. I don’t know when your birthday is however I want you a cheerful and wholesome birthday!”
In March, Simmons was identified with “scary” basal cell carcinoma and had it faraway from his physique earlier this yr.
“[The skin cancer] by no means got here again. So many individuals have most cancers,” he advised Individuals. “I name them, I sing to them. ‘You’re gonna get by way of this. You simply need to consider that.’”
Of his legacy, the By no means Say Weight loss program writer admitted that he doesn’t “hear the phrase legend” or “the phrase icon.”
“I by no means lived a star life. I by no means considered myself as a star. Individuals don’t know this, I’m actually a shy individual and a little bit little bit of an introvert. However when that curtain goes up that’s a unique story. I’m there to make folks blissful,” he confessed.