Inside Richard Simmons' Final Days: Fitness Guru Emailed With Fans Before Tragic Death

Late fitness icon Richard Simmons became a bit of a recluse in the later years of his life, but the star never felt alone thanks to his legions of fans.

According to a source, the entertainer spent his last days emailing with admirers and thanking them for their birthday wishes.

"Richard never wanted to be a celebrity," the insider spilled to a magazine, calling him a "shy introvert."

"He’d distanced himself from a lot of friends," they added. "The reason is still a mystery to them."

One person he did still have a strong in-person relationship with was housekeeper Teresa Reveles, who was the one who found him unresponsive in his bedroom on July 13.

As OK! reported, Simmons — who was 76 at the time of his death — had felt dizzy and fell in his bathroom the night before he passed, but since it was his birthday, he declined Reveles' suggestion she take him to the hospital.

It was prior to the bathroom incident that he tweeted to fans, "Thank you…I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life! I am sitting here writing emails."

"Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday. Love, Richard," he signed off.

Though it's believed he died from natural causes, the investigation is still ongoing.

Simmons did have a few health scares over the years, including a recent battle with skin cancer, which he informed the public about via a March Facebook post.

Simmons explained he went to see a doctor after noticing "a strange looking bump under my right eye" that didn't get better with topical treatment.

After the doctor took a sample of skin to test it, the professional told Simmons he had cancer. "

"I asked him what kind of cancer and he said Basel [sic] Cell Carcinoma," Simmons stated. "I told him to stop calling me dirty names. He laughed."

"He explained that he has to burn my skin to remove the cancer cells. There was no numbing, it just had to be done with a small instrument," Simmons detailed of the procedure. "As he started burning my skin a tear dropped down my cheek. You can’t cry during this and he wiped my tear. The burning really hurt my skin. It lasted about 30 minutes."

He then had to go through the same process a second time.

Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for!