NEWSDiane Sawyer Questions Whether Richard Simmons Could Have Avoided Death If Not 'Afraid to Go to the Hospital'
Diane Sawyer opened up about her new documentary special on Richard Simmons.
May 12 2026, Published 6:17 p.m. ET
Diane Sawyer opened up about her upcoming ABC documentary centered around the late Richard Simmons on Tuesday, May 12, and claimed the fitness icon could have been saved if he wasn't afraid to go to a hospital.
The journalist, 80, appeared on today's episode of The View and spoke about the new segment, titled The Mystery of Richard Simmons: A Diane Sawyer Special.
The New ABC Documentary Explores Richard Simmons' Shocking Death
The journalist's documentary 'The Mystery of Richard Simmons: A Diane Sawyer Special' will air May 12 at 9 p.m. on ABC.
The special, which will air Tuesday night at 9 p.m. EST on ABC, explores what really happened to Simmons after he vanished from the limelight and his death on July 13, 2024 at the age of 76.
“What we know is there was a serious fall and that he was immobilized, and he was lying on the floor for hours," Sawyer explained on the talk show about Simmons' passing.
The fitness guru died on July 13, 2024 — a day after his birthday.
"And the medical examiner, the coroner, is very non-detailed about what really happened, but we do know that when you fall, and you have that kind of lingering immobility on a floor, that it can cause things like kidney damage, strokes," the anchorwoman went on.
"We don’t know exactly which one it was, but we do know that it was not a heart attack. It was not substance abuse," she said. "We know he was the same weight he always was, and that it was the result of this fall."
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'Would Everything Be Different Today?'
'It was not a heart attack and it was not substance abuse,' Diane Sawyer claimed about Richard Simmons' passing.
"It just, again, leaves you wondering if he had not been afraid to go to the hospital… would everything be different today?" Sawyer wondered.
Simmons first stated on Facebook in March 2024 that he was close to death and didn't have much time left. A short while later, he clarified he actually was not about to die following public concern.
That same month, the aerobics guru divulged he was diagnosed with skin cancer.
Richard Simmons Passed Away Soon After Falling in His Bathroom
Richard Simmons died from natural causes.
However, he shared on X the diagnosis occurred "so many years ago" and he decided to talk about it presently to encourage others to get their skin checked.
Simmons ultimately passed away later that summer shortly after falling in his bathroom at his Los Angeles home.
His house manager, Teresa Reveles, suggested he get medical help, but the health guru refused. On July 12, he celebrated his birthday and thanked fans online for sending him good wishes.
The next day, Reveles found him dead and authorities noted at the time he died from natural causes.
