Fitness icon Richard Simmons, known for his flamboyant personality, high energy, and trademark attire, passed away in July 2024 following a fall at his Los Angeles home. Because of a legal dispute case between his longtime housekeeper, Teresa Reveles Muro, and his brother, Leonard (Lenny) Simmons, the estate of the Sweatin’ to the Oldies star is now sweating out a legal dispute over control of Richard’s trust. Teresa, who worked for and lived with Richard starting in the late 1980s, claims she was pressured to resign as co-trustee of Richard’s living trust.[1] Lenny has voiced concerns about assets belonging to the estate being misappropriated.[2]
The case highlights the sometimes overlooked role of attorney representation for key decision-makers, such as trustees or executors, in an estate plan. It also demonstrates how legal conflicts can unexpectedly arise following a loved one’s death and why the choice of a neutral third-party trustee can help avoid similar disputes.
Background to the Simmons Estate Legal Battle
Richard Simmons believed fitness is for everyone, a message he delivered with positivity, usually while wearing sparkling tank tops and short shorts—an outfit that he was buried in under regular clothes.[3] He is best known for his Sweatin’ to the Oldies series of workout videos, which sold over 20 million copies.[4] The Richard Simmons estate includes a trust which is at the center of a legal dispute involving Lenny and Teresa.[5] Richard was close to both and named them as co-trustees of his trust.[6]
As recently as July, Lenny had positive things to say about Teresa. He told People magazine that Richard’s live-in companion of 35 years was “extremely loyal and trustworthy” and that “we are blessed to have Teresa in our lives.”[7] However, she alleges that, immediately after an open casket viewing of Richard, Lenny and his wife, Cathy, brought her to a meeting at a law firm to discuss the Simmons estate, where she says she was coerced into signing away her role as co-trustee.[8]
According to the TODAY show, Teresa’s attorneys have asked a judge to reinstate her as co-trustee and requested that Lenny be prevented from selling any of Richard’s personal possessions or licensing or selling Richard’s name and likeness until she has been reinstated as co-trustee.[9] According to In Touch Weekly, her lawyers wrote in a motion that Lenny is preparing to dispose of Richard’s personal effects without her input, which is against what Richard envisioned in the trust.[10] Teresa also accuses Lenny of working with Richard’s estranged manager on a documentary that she doesn’t think Richard would approve of.[11]
Lenny contradicts this claim in a recently filed response to her petition, asking that Teresa not be added back as a co-trustee.[12] His response contends that Teresa refused to vacate Richard’s home for months after his death, and when she did leave, she took nearly $1 million worth of jewelry that has not been returned.[13] He further alleges that Teresa was working on her own movie project about Richard.[14]
According to Yahoo! News, court documents state that Lenny and his attorneys “need to appraise any property to be sold and may need to sell it to pay taxes. Teresa should not be permitted to interfere with this process absent serious, legitimate concerns about the administration of the estate that do not exist here.”[15]
Lessons from the Simmons Estate Dispute
Despite not being seen in public for more than a decade prior to his passing, Richard Simmons will be remembered as a fitness trailblazer whose enthusiasm brought joy and healthy habits to millions of fans worldwide.
Unfortunately, the conflict over his trust also places him in the company of celebrities such as Prince, Aretha Franklin, and Heath Ledger, whose estates have likewise become the subject of headlines for the wrong reasons.
It does not appear that Richard made any major mistakes in the planning process, such as not having a will or trust. However, his reclusiveness in his later years made it difficult to determine where he stood on the matter of his legacy and those responsible for preserving it.
Avoiding Conflicts of Interest with a Corporate Trustee
Where Richard may have erred, or at least may not have made the best decision, is naming co-trustees of his trust who were also beneficiaries of his estate. Based on public statements, Lenny and Teresa shared no ill will before Richard passed away. It is possible that Richard did not tell them they would be sharing trustee duties, and they learned of this arrangement only after his death, possibly exacerbating any underlying rift that may have been kept private. We may never know.
What we do know is that having co-beneficiaries serve as co-trustees can be a recipe for disaster. Trustees have a legal duty to act in the best interests of the trust’s beneficiaries. In this case, since the trustees are also beneficiaries, incentives are introduced for each one to maximize their control over the trust. Also, depending on the language used in the trust, having co-trustees may have required that they agree on actions taken on the trust’s behalf. This requirement can slow down the administration process and breed conflict if the two parties are not used to working together.
Given the circumstances here, it may have been a more prudent move to have a corporate trustee from the start. Lenny’s case court filing mentions the possibility of the judge appointing a corporate trustee,[16] and it is not out of the question that the court would do so.
Signing Legal Documents Under Coercion
The Richard Simmons estate legal case battle also draws attention to the rights of key decision-makers such as trustees in an estate plan and how they may need to retain legal counsel at different stages of settling an estate.
Attorneys for Teresa contend that Leonard used false statements and intimidation to coerce her into signing a document declining to serve as co-trustee.[17] If this allegation proves to be true—and Teresa did not make an informed decision to sign the document—the court could void it since signing a contract under duress can make it unenforceable.
Careful Planning from the Start Can Avoid Conflicts
“Don’t sweat the small stuff” is good advice to avoid wasting energy on things that do not matter. But the smallest details can have the biggest impact in estate planning, which matters greatly for establishing a lasting legacy. The Richard Simmons estate case shows that trust documents should give detailed instructions on decision-making authority, asset distribution, and dispute resolution.
An estate plan cannot stop beneficiaries from fighting over what the deceased really intended in their estate plan. If a beneficiary feels strongly about a loved one’s final wishes and has reason to believe those wishes are not being fulfilled, it is their right to file a claim challenging a trustee’s or executor’s actions. And if they choose to do so, it is their right—and indeed their responsibility—to retain counsel about the best way to mount a legal challenge.
The trustee or executor also has the right to hire a lawyer to defend them against such claims. They may even be able to pay for an attorney using trust or estate funds. Beneficiaries in trust litigation can, in some cases, recover their legal fees from the trust as well. However, mounting a legal challenge ultimately means less money for everyone to inherit, potentially damaging the deceased’s legacy and any relationship between the parties involved.
Whether you are creating an estate plan or are in charge of carrying out somebody else’s plan, timely advice from an estate planning attorney can help to avoid and mitigate disputes and keep a legacy untarnished by conflict. Nielsen Law PLLC provides family-focused estate and business planning to individuals and families in Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, and the Central Texas area. For more information, and to learn about our firm, please contact us. We look forward to working with you.
[1] Anna Kaplan, Richard Simmons’ family is fighting with his housekeeper over his estate. What to know, Today (Sept. 24, 2024), https://www.today.com/news/richard-simmons-trust-feud-rcna172983.
[2] Richard Simmons’ brother accuses late star’s housekeeper of taking $1 million in jewelry, The Express Tribune (Dec. 11, 2024), https://tribune.com.pk/story/2506696/richard-simmons-brother-accuses-late-stars-housekeeper-of-taking-1-million-in-jewelry.
[3] Mason Leib, Richard Simmons was buried in his iconic “tank top and shorts,” his brother says, ABC News (Oct. 6, 2024), https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/richard-simmons-buried-iconic-tank-top-shorts-brother/story?id=114547134.
[4] John Blackstone, Richard Simmons, fitness guru, dies at age 76, CBS News (July 13, 2024), https://www.cbsnews.com/news/richard-simmons-dies-age-76-fitness-guru.
[5]Id.
[6] Louise A. Barile, Richard Simmons’ Brother and Housekeeper at War Over His Estate: He’d Be “Heartbroken,” Y!entertainment (Oct. 16, 2024), https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/richard-simmons-brother-housekeeper-war-120338437.html.
[7] Jason Sheeler, Richard Simmons’ Housekeeper of 35 Years Breaks Her Silence: “He Died Happy,” People (July 29, 2024), https://people.com/richard-simmons-housekeeper-of-35-years-breaks-her-silence-he-died-happy-8684764.
[8] Id.
[9] Id.
[10] Ryan Naumann, Richard Simmons’ Brother Fighting Late Entertainer’s Housekeeper Over $1 Million in Jewelry, InTouch (Oct. 31, 2024), https://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/richard-simmons-brother-fighting-housekeeper-over-stars-jewelry.
[11] Richard Simmons’ Family to Sell His $5 Million Mansion Amid Estate Dispute, LawyerMonthly (Nov. 8, 2024), https://www.lawyer-monthly.com/2024/11/richard-simmons-family-to-sell-his-5-million-mansion-amid-estate-dispute.
[12] Id.
[13] Ryan Naumann, Richard Simmons’ $5 Million Mansion Where He Died to Be Sold by Family Amid Estate Battle, InTouch (Nov. 8, 2024), https://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/richard-simmons-5-million-home-to-be-sold-amid-estate-battle.
[14] Id.
[15] Paula Froelich, Richard Simmons’ housekeeper finally leaves his home, allegedly taking millions with her, Yahoo!News (Nov. 14, 2024), https://www.yahoo.com/news/richard-simmons-housekeeper-finally-leaves-202809623.html.
[16] Id.
[17] Id.
