Allegations have surfaced from Richard Simmons’ longtime housekeeper, Teresa Reveles Muro, who claims his brother is plotting to take complete control of the fitness icon’s estate, as reported by In Touch.
The publication obtained the petition Teresa filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court on September 24. In her petition, Teresa stated that she acted “to honor the wishes of” Richard, emphasizing that she had lived with him for nearly 36 years, providing care and friendship as his closest confidant.
Teresa Claims Coercion in Signing Documents After Richard Simmons’ Passing
She noted that Richard designated her as one of his successor trustees, indicating his intention for her to manage his trust in the event of his passing. Richard died on July 13 at the age of 76, and Teresa discovered his “lifeless body” on the floor of his bedroom, which left her understandably devastated.
According to Teresa, she then became an unwitting target of a sinister plot to seize control of Richard’s trust. She accused Leonard Simmons, Richard’s brother, and his wife, Cathy Simmons, of orchestrating this scheme against her.
Teresa explained that she was closest to Richard at the time of his death and highlighted that he had not seen his brother for six years before passing. The petition indicated that Richard had intended for both Teresa and Leonard to act as cotrustees of his estate.
The day after Richard’s death, Teresa alleged that Leonard and Cathy hurried to Los Angeles, at which point their plan was initiated. On July 18, during an open casket viewing of Richard’s body at the funeral home, she claimed Leonard and Cathy led her directly to a meeting with the law firm responsible for drafting the trust.
Teresa recounted that Leonard warned her about the difficulties of being a cotrustee, suggesting that any mistakes could cost her inheritance. Her lawyer noted that “Teresa was overwhelmed by Richard’s sudden death just a few days earlier,” as well as the events of that morning at the funeral home and Leonard’s intimidation tactics. However, Teresa’s primary language is not English, which contributed to her feeling “coerced and fraudulently induced” to sign documents that removed her as cotrustee.
The petition stated that Richard was buried the next day, July 19, 2024. Shortly thereafter, Leonard allegedly assumed exclusive control over Richard’s assets and made it clear that Teresa would have no say in decision-making.
According to her lawyer, just days after signing the Declination, Teresa began to understand its implications. She requested to serve as cotrustee, as Richard had intended, and sought to have the Declination deemed void or properly rescinded, but Leonard has reportedly refused her requests.
The petition further alleged that “in addition to making demands regarding Richard’s physical assets, Leonard sought to gain control over Richard’s legacy.”
Teresa is now asking the court to affirm her right to be cotrustee and prevent Leonard from selling Richard’s assets or profiting from his name until a ruling is made on the matter. Richard’s family has not yet responded to Teresa’s petition.
