Richard Simmons‘ longtime housekeeper Teresa Reveles — who worked for the fitness guru for the last four decades of his life and became extremely close to him during that time — has a theory about what caused his death.
As we reported earlier this month, the New Orleans-born fitness icon passed away at his house in the Hollywood Hills just one day after his 76th birthday. His death was completely unexpected and greeted with surprise by the media and public. That Richard had been so reclusive in his final years only made his passing that much more shocking. And now, his housekeeper is speaking out about it.
Related: Richard’s Final Interview Just 2 Days Before His Death Offered Truly Haunting Last Words
In a new interview with People on Monday, Reveles — who first started working in Simmons’ household back in 1986 — shared a theory about what killed the fitness expert. She was the one who discovered Richard’s body that morning, and when she found him, she noticed something curious: his hands were balled up into fists. Reveles believes that meant he had a heart attack, as she told the mag:
“That’s why I know it was heart attack. I had a heart attack a few years ago, and my hands did the same.”
For what it’s worth, an official cause of death has not been determined with toxicology test results still pending, so Reveles’ theory is just that — a theory. Still, she tried to share her optimism amid the tragedy by saying that Simmons looked “peaceful” when she found him, and that she hoped he had “died happy.” We hope so, too…
Elsewhere in the interview, Teresa described herself as Simmons’ “companion” and claimed that decades ago, Richard had predicted the two of them would be together for the rest of his life:
“[Simmons said] ‘Teresa, come in, you are never going to leave. We are going to be together until I die.’ And you know what? His dream came true. He knew somehow.”
She also confirmed to People something that has already been reported — that Simmons fell in his bathroom on his birthday on July 12, but refused to go to the hospital because he didn’t want to spend his birthday there. Teresa said that when she asked at the time about taking him in for a check-up, he told her:
“Why don’t we wait and we do it in the morning.”
About what happened hours after that conversation, she ruefully added:
“But in the morning it was too late.”
So sad…
Now, there is more to the story involving Teresa and her relationship with Richard. As you may recall, a podcast called Missing Richard Simmons debuted early in 2017 that sought to figure out why Simmons had left the public eye. As part of that podcast, a longtime friend of the fitness guru came forward with claims Reveles was to blame. He said the caregiver had started controlling Richard’s life and was keeping him away from friends, family members, and his adoring fans.
In one episode of that spring 2017 podcast, Simmons’ pal Mauro Oliveira claimed he had gone to Richard’s home to figure out where the star disappeared to when he allegedly found himself an unsettling situation involving Reveles:
“It was 6 p.m., and I went into his house. He was sitting in the living room, and he was very weakly, physically and mentally. He was trembling. He said, ‘Mauro, I called you here because we cannot see each other anymore. I’m just going to stay here.’ I thought of the worst. I thought the worst was going to happen. I thought he was suicidal. … She [Teresa] realized that I was in the house and she started screaming like a witch, ‘No no no no, get out, get out! I don’t want him here!’ Richard looked at me and said, ‘you got to go.’ I said, ‘really? Is she controlling your life now?’ and he said yes, and that I have to leave.”
So creepy, right? But while Oliveira certainly has his story, and Missing Richard Simmons became a phenomenon followed by pop culture conspiracy theorists nationwide when it was released, Richard’s own family never agreed with those sentiments. Also speaking to People on Monday, the late fitness guru’s brother Lenny had this to say about Reveles:
“Teresa was extremely loyal and trustworthy. She loved my brother, and he loved her. We are blessed to have Teresa in our lives.”
We feel for Teresa for losing her longtime employer — and friend. And for being the one to find his body on that fateful mid-July morning. Ugh.
R.I.P.
[Image via MEGA/WENN]
