Richard Simmons’ cause of death is being investigated, the Los Angeles Police Department confirms to PEOPLE.
The fitness guru died one day after celebrating his 76th birthday, his longtime publicist, Tom Estey, told PEOPLE on Saturday, July 13.
The Medical Examiner’s Office stated that Simmons’ cause of death has since been deferred, meaning that an investigation and additional testing are needed. It can take up to three months before a determination is made on the cause of death.
Simmons died at his Los Angeles home and no foul play was suspected, according to TMZ. The outlet added that authorities responded to a call from a housekeeper at around 10 a.m. local time Saturday.
“The world has truly lost an angel,” Simmons’ publicist told PEOPLE.
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Simmons recently told PEOPLE it felt “good” to be turning 76. “I am grateful that I’m here, that I am alive for another day,” he said. “I’ll spend my birthday doing what I do every day, which is to help people.”
Two days before his death, Simmons also opened up to PEOPLE about his legacy and admitted that he doesn’t consider himself an icon or legend.
“I never thought of myself as a celebrity,” he said in his final interview. “People don’t know this, I’m really a shy person and a little bit of an introvert. But when that curtain goes up that’s a different story. I’m there to make people happy.”
Simmons continued, “But the accolades I get from emails. I mean, today most probably, we’ll answer over 100 emails. And they’ll say, ‘I’m your No. 1 fan.’ And I just write back, and I say, you know, ‘Don’t say that because I’m a human being just like you. And I know that you do good things, too.’”
Although he remained humble, Simmons admitted that he was still “proud” of himself and the impact he had on how people talk about fitness and nutrition.
Simmons — who had not been seen in public since 2014 — told PEOPLE that he missed his fans as much as they missed him.
“I know people miss me. And you know what? I miss them, too. But I’m able to reach them through phone calls… and through emails,” he said. “And I do leave the house sometimes. But I’m in disguise.”
