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Richard Simmons' longtime housekeeper, who has described herself as his companion, has taken legal action to become co-trustee of his estate, which is what the fitness guru wanted. According to TMZ, Teresa Reveles Muro, who started working for him in 1986, alleges that Richard's brother, Leonard, pressured her to turn down the role when she was vulnerable.
Simmons passed away on July 13, the day after his 76th birthday, after suffering from a fall in his home. Teresa was the one who found him, and per his wishes, was set to be the co-trustee of his estate. However, she says days after Simmons died, Leonard and his wife, Cathy, went to view his body, then took her to the lawyer's office handling the trust, and had her sign documentation turning down the co-trustee role.
According to TMZ, Muro filed a petition on Wednesday, September 25, claiming she was at her most vulnerable and didn't understand what she was signing, and felt pressured after they told her that any paperwork mistakes could jeopardize her inheritance rights under the trust.
She says she only realized this after receiving a letter claiming she no longer had a major say in handling Richard's estate. Muro, who believed she was in the best position to execute Simmons' last wishes, says she was never informed about the implications of turning down the position and was not advised to seek legal guidance.
Muro is now fighting to regain the ability to serve as co-trustee of the estate alongside Leonard and is asking the court to prevent him from selling off Richard's assets or exploiting his name, image, and likeness until the judge rules on her request.
Richard knew he would be with Muro until he died
The situation is pretty heartbreaking considering how close Simmons and his companion were, spending four decades together. Once he retired in 2014, they spent every day together. She recalled their first meeting with People after his death, sharing that he hired her from a service, “I showed up here, and Richard says to me, ‘Where are your clothes? Where is your big suitcase?’ I said, ‘I just brought the little suitcase because I’m only trying this for two weeks. If you don’t like me or you don’t like my cooking, then I can’t work.’”
Simmons knew they were destined to spend the rest of his life together, saying, “Teresa, come in, you are never going to leave. We are going to be together until I die.” She told the outlet, “And you know what? His dream came true. He knew somehow.”