One week after news broke about Richard Simmons’ unexpected passing, the fitness guru’s staff shared the final photo of him before his death.
In a series of tweets on Saturday, July 20, Simmons’ staff opened up about the fitness legend’s social media posts. “Richard worked very hard on his posts for you,” the staff stated. “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 staff continued by writing, “As you know, on the weekends, he would just share a photo with a caption. He always chose his photos and wrote his captions for the upcoming weekend by Friday. So we have the post Richard planned to share with you last Sunday. We thought you’d want to see it.”
The staff then shared the photo that Richard Simmons was going to post on July 14. The photo features Simmons dressed in the signature NASA orange astronaut suit while standing in front of a colorful background.
They then quoted, “Let me fly you to the moon so we can gaze among the stars. Love, Richard.”
Richard Simmons passed away on day after he celebrated his 76th birthday. Sources say that the fitness guru, who rose to fame in the early ’70s, had fallen in his bathroom the night before his death. He had refused to seek any medical attention.
The next morning, officers from the Los Angeles Police Department were called to Simmons’ residence after his housekeeper found him unresponsive.
Law enforcement officials do not believe that foul play was involved. The investigation into the cause of death is still ongoing.
Richard Simmons Was Laid to Rest In a Private Funeral On July 19
Meanwhile, Richard Simmons was laid to rest in a private funeral held at the Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary in Los Angeles on Friday.
His older brother, Lenny Simmons, said in a statement, “Our beloved Dicky was laid to rest this morning surrounded by only family and closest friend. We pray for your continued love and support during this very difficult time.”
Days before his death, Richard Simmons spoke about how he was feeling right before turning 76. “I feel good!” the late star told PEOPLE. “I am grateful that I’m here, that I am alive for another day. I’ll spend my birthday doing what I do every day, which is to help people.”
He also stated that he was working on a Broadway show about his life. Although he stepped away from the public in 2014, Simmons said he was still wanting to correspond with fans. “I know people miss me. And you know what? I miss them, too,” he said. “But I’m able to reach them through phone calls… and through emails.”