Cause of death of Richard Simmons announced

CNN
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Richard Simmons’ brother has announced the cause of death of the late fitness guru.

“Richard's death was ruled an accident due to complications from recent falls and heart disease as a contributing factor. The toxicology report was negative, other than the medications Richard had been prescribed,” Thomas Estey, Simmons' representative, said in a statement to People, citing a notice Simmons' brother received from the Los Angeles County Coroner.

When reached by CNN, Estey referred to his statement to People.

“The family would like to thank everyone for their tremendous love and support during this time of great loss,” his statement concluded.

The full court report is not yet publicly available.

Simmons, a popular fitness star and a staple of 1980s television, died early Saturday morning on July 13. He had celebrated his 76th birthday the day before. “We lost an angel today – a real angel,” Estey told CNN at the time.

Soon after his death, reports emerged that Simmons had fallen in his bathroom on the night of his birthday, but refused medical attention at the behest of his housekeeper. He was found unconscious next to his bed the next morning.

His brother, Lenny Simmons, also paid tribute to him in a statement released to CNN last month.

“I don't want people to be sad about my brother. I want them to remember him because he brought real joy and love into people's lives,” Lenny Simmons wrote. “He truly cared about people. He called, wrote and emailed thousands of people throughout his career to offer them help. So don't be sad. Celebrate his life.”

He added that his brother was “very excited about all of his upcoming projects that he is working on.”