Jane Fonda pays tribute to Richard Simmons after his death: “I hope he felt the love that so many showed him”

Published: 5:45 p.m. PDT, July 14, 2024

Jane Fonda remembers her friend and colleague, Richard Simmonsafter his death.

On Sunday, the legendary actress, 86, remembered Simmons, a day after it was confirmed that the popular fitness coach and instrumental figure in the video workout movement had died.

In a (n Instagram post The Hollywood icon and political activist shared a tribute with her more than 2 million followers to Simmons, who died on Saturday at the age of 76. Fonda included a photo of her and Simmons from a recent interaction.

“Richard Simmons always wanted people to be happy and prosperous. He did everything he could to make people happy. I often wondered if perhaps no one made him happy when he was a little boy,” Fonda began her long tribute.

The Grace and Frankie The star continued, “He was generous. He gave of himself and his time to make people happy. He once jumped out of a giant cake at the opening of a Jane Fonda WORKOUT event. That was generous.”

“He found out I was in a store he was in, so he quickly bought a small piece of jewelry and ran through the store, screaming at the top of his lungs in that unmistakable voice to let me know he was coming. That was generous,” she wrote.

Fonda acknowledged their decades-long history together and looked back at the last time she saw the fitness guru. According to the actress, she is now in the camp of his millions of fans who mourn his passing and remember him fondly.

“The last time I saw him was when I took him and one of his friends to lunch at the Polo Lounge. The relationship was new and he was proud. I never saw or heard from him again and like many thousands of others, I mourned his absence from my life,” she wrote.

In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fonda and Simmons actually teamed up to help people stuck at home due to quarantine get in a workout by launching an online workout series. The pair have collaborated on workout videos throughout their careers as fitness instructors.

At the end of her post, Fonda mentioned their long-term relationship, said goodbye with good wishes and thanked him for their years of friendship.

She concluded: “I hope he felt the love that so many have shown him over the last few years. I hope it made him happy. I read that he died peacefully in his sleep in his very white house. Rest in peace, dear Richard.”

After his death, Simmons received numerous honors from other friends and influential people. including Pauly Shore – who will play Simmons in an upcoming biopic. Although the two were at odds over the film, Shore, 56, still paid tribute to Simmons.

“Just learned like everyone else that the wonderful Richard Simmons has passed away. I hope you are resting in peace and shining in heaven,” he wrote in a post that included a photo of Simmons. “Please give my mom Mitzi and dad Sammy a big hug and kiss from me. You are one of a kind Richard. An incredible life. An incredible story. They broke the dolphin shorts when they made you. Rest in peace my friend. Rest in peace.”

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