AceShowbiz - Jane Fonda, the legendary actress and political activist, paid an emotional tribute to her late friend and fitness collaborator Richard Simmons on Sunday, July 14. "Richard Simmons always wanted people to feel good and be happy. He would go out of his way to make people happy. I often wondered if maybe nobody had made him happy when he was a little boy," Fonda wrote in an Instagram post.

Fonda highlighted Simmons' generosity, recalling how he jumped out of a cake at a launch event for her fitness program and purchased a trinket in a store to greet her unexpectedly. "He gave of himself, of his time, to make people happy," Fonda continued. "Like many thousands of others, I've mourned his absence from my life."

Fonda and Simmons shared a long history as pioneers in the at-home fitness movement, helping to popularize workouts outside of traditional gym settings. They collaborated on workout videos and had a shared goal of promoting emotional well-being and self-acceptance through exercise.

Fonda last saw Simmons when she took him and a new boyfriend to lunch at the Polo Lounge. It was the last time she heard from him before his recent withdrawal from public life.

"I hope he felt the love so many were sending him these last years. I hope it made him happy," Fonda wrote.

Simmons had recently celebrated his 76th birthday and had been diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer. No cause of death has been announced, but no foul play is suspected.

Fonda's tribute echoed the sentiments of many who knew Simmons, including his brother Lenny, who wrote on social media, "Don't be sad. Celebrate his life! He was very excited about all of the upcoming ventures he was working on."