Richard Simmons' death was ruled an accident due to recent falls, his family said – Orange County Register

The cause of death of fitness guru Richard Simmons was given as an accident, which was primarily due to “recent falls”, his family announced today.

Simmons was found dead in his Hollywood Hills home on July 13, one day after celebrating his 76th birthday.

The official cause of death has not yet been publicly released by the Los Angeles Office of Medical Examiner, but a family spokesman issued a statement Wednesday saying the office had provided details to Simmons' brother.

“This morning, Richard Simmons' brother Lenny received a call from the Los Angeles County Coroner's office,” spokesman Tom Estey said in the statement, which was originally leaked to People magazine. “The coroner advised Lenny that Richard's death was an accident due to complications from recent falls and heart disease as a contributing factor. The toxicology report was negative, other than the medications prescribed for Richard. The family would like to thank everyone for their outpouring of love and support during this time of great loss.”

Shortly after Simmons' death, TMZ reported that the well-known fitness icon fell in his bathroom on the evening of his birthday but refused to go to the hospital. His housekeeper found him dead the next morning.

After years of being a ubiquitous figure on television, Simmons had retreated from public appearances in recent years amid wild speculation about his health. He was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in 2017 for alleged gastrointestinal issues.

Shortly before his death, however, he told People that he felt good about preparing for his birthday.

“I feel good! I'm grateful to be here and to be alive for another day. I'm going to spend my birthday doing what I do every day: helping people,” he said.

Simmons announced in March that he was diagnosed and treated for skin cancer “so many years ago.”