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Richard Simmons, fitness personality and TV host, dead at 76

Richard Simmons, the perennial 1980s workout personality who was defined by his uplifting spirit, has died, according to his longtime publicist Tom Estey.

He went on to seamlessly parlay his role of motivational fitness instructor into his famed TV persona, and prided himself on connecting with other overweight people to inspire them to take steps to improve their health. On occasion, Simmons shared personal updates on his social media pages, writing in a January Facebook post, “I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful.” Shore is set to star as Simmons in the upcoming biopic that’s being produced by the Wolper Organization, a subsidiary of Warner Bros., according to a news release sent to CNN on Wednesday.

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