Richard Simmons’ Long-Time Housekeeper Opens Up About Life With the Fitness Guru

The fitness icon Richard Simmons died in his Los Angeles home on July 13 after several years away from the spotlight. Known for his rhinestone tank tops and infectious energy, his bestselling self-help books on fitness and lifestyle, and regular TV appearances from General Hospital to David Letterman, his last few years of life were kept uncharacteristically private, leaving fans to wonder about the nature and quality of his life.

For a man who helped so many, his private life was known by very few – until now. His housekeeper Teresa Reveles, who worked for Simmons for 35 years, is opening up about life with the star, and the devastating moment she found him dead and called 911.

Reveles oversaw upkeep of the house and the yard, and cooked for Simmons during her years working for him. She was the one to find Simmons, in his bedroom, on July 13. She broke her silence in an interview with People. 

“I can’t stop crying,” she said in the interview. “I still can’t believe what happened.”

“When I saw him, he looked peaceful,” she said, though she believes he had a heart attack upon seeing his hands balled into fists. “I had a heart attack a few years ago, and my hands did the same.” The official cause of death has yet to be revealed.

Through her pain, however, Reveles made one thing clear: Simmons died happy and enjoyed the simple life.

Every night, a family of skunks would arrive at Simmons’ door in West Hollywood, Calif. and Simmons would feed them peanuts by hand. He and the animals became so acquainted with one another, he could touch their noses.

Born in 1948, Simmons grew up in New Orleans, La., and was raised in the French Quarter. His father was a master of ceremonies, and his mother was a traveling fan dancer. He also had an older brother named Leonard. As early as age 4, Simmons struggled with overeating and continued to gain weight until he hit his peak after graduating high school at 268 pounds. In the ’70s, he moved to Los Angeles, where he developed an interest in fitness. He eventually opened Ruffage and the Anatomy Asylum, a combined salad bar and exercise studio that aimed to promote a supportive atmosphere.

As they say, the rest is history. Gaining popularity for his motivational workout classes, Simmons went on to host his own television series The Richard Simmons Show which aired from 1980 to 1984 and earned him four Emmy Awards. According to The Dr. Oz Show, Simmons helped humanity lose approximately 12 million pounds in weight.

Then over the past decade, Simmons removed himself from the public eye.

“Before that, he never was home,” Reveles shared. “He only came sometimes for a weekend and then he had to leave Tuesday and then goes for 10 days and then would come back to the house for clothes or to see the dogs for two days, back and forth.”

For the years following his absence as well as the closure of his fitness studio in 2016, media turned its attention toward Reveles.

“They said crazy things, that I kept him locked up in the house. But that just never was the truth. The media was following me everywhere. But I would never talk to them.”

Though Simmons heard all the chatter and discourse about his absence, he insisted he never really left. According to Reveles, he spent his days doing what he wanted: he was still calling and emailing fans. He would even leave the house often, albeit disguised. Reveles said he would wear a mask and a wig.

“We’d go and drive,” Reveles said. “But sometimes we were in the street and nobody knew him because he would not talk.”

Days before he died, Simmons surprised Reveles with an early anniversary present: a diamond pin.

Related

Richard Simmons’ Team Shares the Social Media Post He Planned Before His Death

Reveles still remembers her first day she came to work for Simmons. It was 1986.

“I show up in here and Richard says to me, ‘Where are your clothes? Where is your big suitcase?'” Reveles said. “I said, ‘I just bring the little suitcase because I only try this for two weeks. If you don’t like me or you don’t like my cooking, then I can’t work.'”

Simmons told her: “Teresa, come in, you are never going to leave. We are going to be together until I die.”

“And you know what?” Reveles continued. “His dream came true. He knew somehow.”