Richard Simmons Refused Medical Help After Falling The Night Before He Died: Report
Richard Simmons reportedly refused medical help after he fell the night before he was found unresponsive.
According to 'TMZ,' law enforcement officials said Simmons fell in his bathroom Friday night before his housekeeper helped him up and encouraged him to seek medical attention.
The fitness-lover opted to stay home, as the day he fell happened to be his 76th birthday, per the media outlet.
Simmons reportedly felt dizzy before his fall and considered visiting a doctor the following day on Saturday, before his housekeeper helped him to bed. It was that Saturday at 10 a.m. that she found the former aerobics instructor unresponsive on the floor next to his bed.
An additional source claimed that Simmons didn't show any outward signs of injury after the tumble, including bumps or bruises, nor was he bleeding. Per 'Page Six,' he was pronounced dead on the scene.
Police officials confirmed that there was no evidence of foul play. An autopsy has been completed, however, toxicology tests are pending.
Hours before his death, the beloved instructor interviewed with 'PEOPLE,' where he exclaimed that he was feeling optimistic and grateful to be alive.
"I feel good! I am grateful that I'm here, that I am alive for another day," he told the media outlet just one day before his unexpected death. "I'll spend my birthday doing what I do every day, which is to help people."
The New Orleans native joked that he'd blow a candle out "probably" on a "zucchini" and gushed that he may indulge in "just one" Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookie. The star rose to fame back in the 1980's as a colorful fitness instructor and health advocate.
Simmons was previously treated for skin cancer "so many years ago," and was once hospitalized for dehydration and severe indigestion.
In a statement, Simmons' publicist told 'PEOPLE' that "the world has truly lost an angel."
