Originally appeared on E! Online
Richard Simmons had a final uplifting message for his fans before his passing.
The fitness guru's team has shared a final regularly scheduled social media post he had had prepared for his fans days before his death July 13 at age 76.
"Richard worked very hard on his posts for you," his staff wrote on X July 20. "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. As you know, on the weekends, he would just share a photo with a caption."
The staff said Simmons "always chose his photos and wrote his captions for the upcoming weekend" by Friday every week, and included a post he planned to share July 14, one day after his death.
“Let me fly you to the moon so we can gaze among the stars," read Simmons' message, which accompanied a photoshopped pic of the fitness instructor wearing a NASA uniform costume and appearing inside a slot canyon. "Love, Richard."
The Sweatin' to the Oldies star was known for showcasing his boisterous and positive demeanor in his exercise videos, social media posts, public appearances and while encountering fans in his everyday life.
The star, born Milton Teagan Simmons, was found dead in his Los Angeles home. The cause of his death remains under investigation.
Simmons was laid to rest July 19, his brother Lenny Simmons said on X.
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"I don’t want people to be sad about my brother," he had said in a statement to E! News after Richard's death. "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."
Lenny added, "So, don’t be sad. Celebrate his life."
