Richard Simmons’ family says fall and heart disease were the causes of his accidental death

Fitness guru Richard Simmons died accidentally from complications from a recent fall and heart disease, a family spokesman said Wednesday.

Family spokesman Tom Esty confirmed the cause and manner of death, noting that NBC News had referred to a statement initially provided to People’s Magazinewhich revealed the causes that led to Simmons’ death.

The statement quoted the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office as saying it called Simmons’ brother, Lenny, to inform him of the news on Wednesday.

Esty said in the statement that toxicology tests revealed that Simmons had only the drugs prescribed to him by a fitness expert in his system.

A spokesman for the medical examiner’s office said information about the cause and manner of death would be released when Simmons’ autopsy report is completed, but did not provide a specific date or time.

Simmons was found unconscious at his home in the Hollywood Hills, a neighborhood of the city overlooking Los Angeles, on July 13, a day after his 76th birthday, two law enforcement sources said at the time.

The teacher gained fame after struggling with his weight and health, going from 268 pounds to 156 pounds — a lifelong battle against obesity. He said that in the early 1970s in Los Angeles, it was difficult for him to find a gym for people who were not already fit.

Simmons founded his own gym, SLIMMONS, in 1974, and his own restaurant, Ruffage, as well as the adjacent exercise studio, Anatomy Asylum, the following year. These gyms attracted celebrities, which brought television and video productions and fame to Simmons.

His fitness advertising activities have included mass media products: “The Richard Simmons Show” on television and “Sweat to the Oldies” on videotapes.

On March 20, Simmons said on social media that he had been diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer. He followed that up with a statement saying that his condition had been treated through three surgeries with a cancer specialist.