REVEALED: Richard Simmons' haunting final social media post... shared just five HOURS before his death in Los Angeles aged 76

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Richard Simmons shared a famous quote from a popular Broadway musical just five hours before his death, aged 76, in Los Angeles.  

The hyperactive court jester of physical fitness who built a mini-empire in his trademark tank tops and short shorts by urging the overweight to exercise and eat better, died of natural causes at his southern California home on Saturday. 

And social media followers have since remarked on the timing of his final X post, which appears to have been posted shortly before his passing. 

Taking to the online platform, Simmons shared a photo alongside the caption 'Hello gorgeous! Please don’t rain on my parade' - a partial line from the 1964 musical Funny Girl - at 3:53 pm on July 13, the day of his death. 

Commenting on the post, one follower wrote: 'Yikes! 5 hrs ago posting messages & gone just like that. You seriously never know.' 

Richard Simmons shared a famous quote from a popular Broadway musical just five hours before his death, aged 76, in Los Angeles

A second added: 'Umm, this is haunting if this post was shortly before you passed. Rest in peace.' 

A third commented: 'Wow...he'd have to have gone shortly after posting this.' 

While a fourth mused: 'Maybe this post was his way of saying goodbye?' 

Simmons died at his home in Los Angeles, his publicist Tom Estey said in an email to The Associated Press. He gave no further details.

Los Angeles police and fire departments say they responded to a house - whose address the AP has matched with Simmons through public records - where a man was declared dead from natural causes.

Simmons, who had revealed a skin diagnosis in March 2024, had lately dropped out of sight, sparking speculating about his health and well-being. His death was first reported by TMZ.

Simmons was a former 268-pound teen who became a master of many media forms, sharing his hard-won weight-loss tips as host of the Emmy-winning daytime "Richard Simmons Show" and author of best-selling books and the diet plan Deal-A-Meal. 

He also opened exercise studios and starred exercise videos, including the wildly successful "Sweatin' to the Oldies" line, which became a cultural phenomenon.

Social media followers have since remarked on the timing of his final X post, which appears to have been posted shortly before his passing, understood to be of natural causes 

The hyperactive court jester of physical fitness who built a mini-empire in his trademark tank tops and short shorts, died at his southern California home on Saturday

'My food plan and diet are just two words - common sense. With a dash of good humor,' he told The Associated Press in 1982. 'I want to help people and make the world a healthier, happy place.' 

Simmons embraced mass communication to get his message out, even as he eventually became the butt of jokes for his outfits and flamboyant flair. 

He was a sought-after guest on TV shows led by Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas and Phil Donahue. But David Letterman would prank him and Howard Stern would tease him until he cried. 

He was mocked in Neil Simon´s "The Goodbye Girl" on Broadway in 1993, and Eddie Murphy put on white makeup and dressed like him in "The Nutty Professor," screaming 'I´m a pony!' 

Asked if he thought he could motivate people by being silly, Simmons answered, 'I think there's a time to be serious and a time to be silly. It's knowing when to do it. I try to have a nice combination. Being silly cures depression. 

'It catches people off guard and makes them think. But in between that silliness is a lot of seriousness that makes sense. It's a different kind of training.' 

The coroner is seen retrieving fitness guru Simmons' body from his LA home over the weekend

Throughout his career, Simmons was a reliable critic of fad diets, always emphasizing healthy eating and exercise plans (pictured with singer Katy Perry in 2013)

Simmons´ daytime show was seen on 200 stations in America, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan and South America. His first book, "Never Say Diet," was a smash best-seller.

He was known to counsel the severely obese, including Rosalie Bradford, who held records for being the world's heaviest woman, and Michael Hebranko, who credited Simmons for helping him lose 700 pounds. 

Throughout his career, Simmons was a reliable critic of fad diets, always emphasizing healthy eating and exercise plans. 

'There'll always be some weird thing about eating four grapes before you go to bed, or drinking a special tea, or buying this little bean from El Salvador,' he told the AP in 2005 as the Atkins diet craze swept the country. 

'If you watch your portions and you have a good attitude and you work out every day you'll live longer, feel better and look terrific.' 

When Simmons hadn't been seen in public for several years, some news outlets speculated that he was being held hostage in his own house. 

When Simmons hadn't been seen in public for several years, some news outlets speculated that he was being held hostage in his own house

In telephone interviews with "Entertainment Tonight" and the "Today" show, Simmons refuted the claims and told his fans he was enjoying the time by himself (pictured circa 1980)

In telephone interviews with "Entertainment Tonight" and the "Today" show, Simmons refuted the claims and told his fans he was enjoying the time by himself. 

Filmmaker-writer Dan Taberski, one of his regular students, launched a podcast in 2017 called "Missing Richard Simmons."

In 2022, Simmons broke his six-year silence, with his spokesperson telling the New York Post that the beloved fitness icon was "living the life he has chosen."

One of the online tributes after Simmons´ passing was from actor-comedian Pauly Shore, who previously developed an unauthorized biopic of Simmons, which Simmons objected to at the time.

'I just got word like everyone else that the beautiful Richard Simmons has passed,' he began in an Instagram post. 'I hope you´re at peace and twinkling up in the heavens.

'You´re one of a kind, Richard. An amazing life. An amazing story.'