Latest news with #PatrickLeonard
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why Richard Simmons Died 'Very Happy' According to a Friend Who Spoke to Him 1 Day Before His Death (Exclusive)
Those closest to Simmons say he was energized by a new project months before he died and had begun writing songs for a potential Broadway musical about his life alongside musician Patrick Leonard 'He was so excited,' says older brother Lenny, 'and would always read us the lyrics, in poetry form, of the last song he had written for Patrick' Tom Estey, Simmons' publicist for decades, says the health guru was in a "much more serene, very happy, very content" place before he diedSo much changed in the final year of fitness star Richard Simmons's life before he died at age 76, almost one year ago. From early 2014 to the beginning of 2024, the once-ubiquitous health icon, who became a household name in the '80s and starred in a series of tank-top clad workout videos, retreated from the public eye and avoided most contact with even his closest friends and professional circle, as PEOPLE previously reported. But months before he died as a result of a fall and underlying coronary disease, the "Sweatin' to the Oldies" legend returned to social media — partly to distance himself from an unsanctioned film about his life. Those closest to him also say Simmons was energized by a new project and had begun writing songs for a potential Broadway musical about his life alongside musician Patrick Leonard, who has worked with megastars from Madonna to Elton John. 'He was so excited,' says older brother Lenny, 'and would always read us the lyrics, in poetry form, of the last song he had written for Patrick.' "When we reconnected, it was a completely different Richard," says Tom Estey, who was Simmons' publicist for decades, adding that the health guru "was in a very happy and content place' after he reemerged. While Simmons was home in the Hollywood Hills, "He did know that people missed him and he missed them, but he never took his eye nor his heart off them," Estey adds. Simmons's death came as a complete surprise to Estey, who also noted, "the last day, he didn't feel well." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "My body told me I needed to retire," Simmons himself told PEOPLE in an interview two days before his death, explaining how years of intense workouts had caught up to him and contributed to his decision to take a step back from public appearances a decade earlier. Michael Catalano, who worked as the star's manager for years, said, "He found some peace in coming back and reconnecting with all people he had not spoken to in years," adding that throughout his career, Simmons was always uniquely able to bond with fans. "He cried with them and he laughed with them, and he was never judgmental," Catalano said. Read the original article on People
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Inside Richard Simmons bittersweet final act: Star was 'so excited' to tell his story on Broadway before passing
It's been nearly a year since Richard Simmons died the day after his 76th birthday from a fall and underlying coronary disease, and his close ones are reflecting on his life. The reclusive aerobics guru retreated from the spotlight after closing his Beverly Hills exercise studio Slimmons in 2016, but he made a virtual comeback during the COVID-19 pandemic and began posting new encouraging audio messages for fans. According to Richard's older brother Lenny Simmons, he was also busy writing songs for a potential Broadway musical about his life with one of Madonna 's favorite songwriters, three-time Grammy nominee Patrick Leonard. 'He was so excited,' Lenny told People on Thursday. 'And [he] would always read us the lyrics, in poetry form, of the last song he had written for Patrick.' Simmons' publicist for decades, Tom Estey, spoke to him the day before he passed away to wish him happy birthday shortly after he had slipped in the bathroom of his $6.9M Hollywood Hills estate (now on the market) but failed to seek medical attention. 'The last day, he didn't feel well,' Estey admitted to the mag. '[But] when we reconnected, it was a completely different Richard. He was in a very happy and content place. He did know that people missed him and he missed them, but he never took his eye nor his heart off them.' The flamboyant fitness expert's manager for years, Michael Catalano, said he 'found some peace in coming back and reconnecting with all people he had not spoken to in years.' In his final Facebook message to fans, Richard (born Milton) thanked them: 'I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life! I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday.' Last year, Simmons' live-in caretaker/driver of 36 years - Theresa Reveles Muro - petitioned to become co-trustee of his estate and claimed Lenny had pressured her to turn down the role after his death. Muro accused Lenny of colluding to 'pillage Richard's assets and legacy' with Michael, whom he allegedly despised according to multiple emails she provided in legal filings. In October, Theresa asked the court to suspend Lenny's authority to sell or exploit Simmons' personal effects, name, image, likeness, or other intellectual property pending resolution of the appointment petition. In his final Facebook message to fans, Richard (born Milton) thanked them: 'I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life! I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday' The Sweatin' to the Oldies star - who once topped the scales at 268lbs - helped humanity lose approximately 12M lbs during his eighties/nineties hey day: 'He cried with them and he laughed with them, and he was never judgmental.' Richard published 12 fitness book and hosted his own KTLA talk show The Richard Simmons Show from 1980-1984, which won four Daytime Emmy Awards. Among Simmons' last onscreen appearances were guest judging a 2014 episode of ABC's Sing Your Face Off and playing a dramatized version of himself on ABC soap General Hospital in 2013.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Jury hits Presbyterian with $40 million verdict in medical negligence case
Jun. 4—A jury this week awarded more than $40 million in damages to a couple who argued that personnel at Presbyterian Healthcare Services failed to diagnose a condition that resulted in brain damage to their infant child. The couple argued in a lawsuit that Presbyterian personnel failed to diagnose the infant's low blood glucose levels after the child's birth in April 2019, resulting in permanent developmental effects. The award included $15 million in punitive damages against Presbyterian. Jurors also awarded nearly $25 million to the child, now 6, and a total of $825,000 to the boy's parents, Samantha and Patrick Leonard. Jurors also found that the conduct of four Presbyterian personnel, including two physicians and two registered nurses, showed "reckless or wanton" behavior on the part of the health care system, 2nd Judicial District Court records show. Jurors handed down the verdict on Monday following a two-week trial before state District Judge Denise Barela-Shepherd. Presbyterian called the judgment "excessive" in a statement issued Tuesday. "While we respect the judicial process, we have serious concerns about this outcome and the unprecedented size of the damages awarded," the statement said. "We intend to pursue legal options to address what we consider to be an excessive judgment." "Presbyterian is committed to providing safe, high-quality care to our communities," it said. The verdict comes about six months after a Bernalillo County jury awarded nearly $17 million in damages to a woman who carried a 13-inch metal instrument in her abdomen for two months following a 2019 surgery at Presbyterian Hospital. That Jan. 14 verdict included $15 million in punitive damages against Presbyterian. Earlier this year, lawmakers failed to approve a bill that sought to counter the shortage of health care providers in New Mexico by changing the state's Medical Malpractice Act, including limiting attorney fees in medical malpractice cases. Senate Bill 176 died in committee after drawing strong opposition from trial lawyers and patients injured by medical malpractice. Supporters of the bill argued that New Mexico's medical malpractice laws have made the state a magnet for out-of-state attorneys and discouraged doctors from practicing here. In 2022, New Mexico had the highest medical malpractice insurance loss ratio in the country, according to a recent Think New Mexico report, meaning insurers paid out 183% of the premiums they took in. Indeed, New Mexico was one of only seven states where insurers lost money, making it much more expensive for them to function in this market. Lisa Curtis, an Albuquerque attorney who represented the Leonard family, said jurors awarded $15 million in punitive damages as a warning to Presbyterian. "It's clear they were just trying to send a message — take better care of our children," Curtis said Tuesday. An attorney for Presbyterian Healthcare Services, Colleen Koch, did not immediately return phone messages Tuesday seeking comment. The boy, who was born about three weeks prematurely at Presbyterian Hospital in April 2019, had undetected hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, due to high insulin levels, according to the 2022 lawsuit. The boy was discharged from the hospital two days after birth. Seven days after discharge, the boy became "fussy and febrile with less active feeding" and was readmitted to Presbyterian. Eight days after the boy's birth, his brain and heart shut down, Curtis said. "They started testing his blood sugar after that," she said. "His blood sugars were super low. They figured it out in a day once he had crashed and they tested him." Presbyterian violated its own policies that require blood-sugar testing for all babies born prematurely within 24 hours of birth, Curtis argued. The boy "suffered undetected hypoglycemia with subsequent seizure activity and respiratory arrest when he was only (8) days old," the lawsuit said. The boy "is suffering the long-term consequences of developmental delay/sensory disorder, abnormal vision and behavioral effects."
USA Today
09-05-2025
- USA Today
Find a book for your next travel adventure at Postcard Bookshop in Portland, Oregon
Find a book for your next travel adventure at Postcard Bookshop in Portland, Oregon Independent bookstores are the heartbeats of their communities. They provide culture and community, generate local jobs and sales tax revenue, promote literacy and education, champion and center diverse and new authors, connect readers to books in a personal and authentic way and actively support the right to read and access to books in their communities. Each week we profile an independent bookstore, sharing what makes each one special and getting their expert and unique book recommendations. This week we have Patrick Leonard, owner of Postcard Bookshop in Portland, Oregon. What's your store's story? Postcard Bookshop is a travel bookstore in Portland, Oregon, with books for all of the many ways that people explore the world. Inspired by our tiny namesake, we pack a lot of stories into our little space – just 300 square feet! Whether you're a jet-setter, a road-tripper or an armchair traveler, our store is here to help you visit new places with books. What makes your independent bookstore unique? Instead of arranging our collection by genre, we've shelved everything by geography. For each country, we offer guidebooks and language guides, as well as novels, poetry, cookbooks and nonfiction from and about that place. Reading has always played a big role in how I see the world; novels have inspired my trips and there are many places I'll probably only ever experience in the pages of a great story. I want to share that curiosity for the world with other readers. When customers are planning a trip, they can pick up a travel guide, but also a novel to read on the airplane or a cookbook to extend that vacation feeling after they return. What's your favorite section in your store? Under our handmade, three-foot piñata of the earth, we have a table that introduces readers to different themes in world literature. In October, I highlighted international horror authors, and then in February, I had a selection of classic love stories from other countries next to modern romance novels with globe-trotting storylines. Right now, I'm featuring translated science fiction alongside books about space and night sky tourism, taking the whole travel theme to other worlds. What book do you love to recommend to customers and why? Not a week goes by without me handing someone a book by Peter Hessler. In his latest, 'Other Rivers," he uses his family's experience in the Chinese education system during the pandemic to explore the social and political changes in China over the last two decades. As tensions rise between the U.S. and China, Hessler's books feel like they offer a very human window into a large and complicated country. Writing as a 'foreigner abroad' has its limits, but I really think Hessler is a great model for how to write with respect and humanity about the places and people we visit. What book do you think deserves more attention and why? I love books that have me looking up airfares before I've finished the last page. Reading 'Water, Wood, and Wild Things' by Hannah Kirshner made me want to immediately visit the Japanese hot spring village of Yamanaka Onsen. Her memoir is a loving ode to the culture embodied by artisans working to preserve their traditional crafts. There is an undeniable romance to the idea of starting a new life abroad, but Kirshner's book delves deeper into the life of the community that exists beyond the daydreams we have as tourists. What books/series are you most excited about coming out in the next few months and why? I'm particularly looking forward to Robert MacFarlane's 'Is a River Alive?' out on May 20. He writes beautifully about how landscapes have influenced people, and how we, in turn, have changed nature. His forthcoming book ventures to Ecuadorian cloud forests, the deltas of Southeastern India and the forests of eastern Quebec to explore the critical fight worldwide to protect our waterways. It blends ambitious travel writing, poetic natural history, and an impassioned plea for ecological justice. Why is shopping at local, independent bookstores important? Independent, specialty bookstores stake out a real alternative to online retailers that try to offer everything for everyone. When you visit a romance-focused store, or a science-fiction shop, or a children's bookstore, you'll find a community of readers brimming with expertise and excitement to share about a very specific genre. We put so much care into what we carry, and readers can trust that our recommendations are driven by genuine enthusiasm and interest, rather than algorithms. What are some of your store's events, programs, or partnerships coming up that you would like to share? This spring, we'll launch a 'World Traveler' book club that features a different country each month, with passports for participants to track their reading. We're also fortunate to be located inside Portland's incredible CARGO Emporium, a collective of local and global artists, makers, and retailers. The store hosts a full calendar of craft workshops and art openings and big neighborhood events like our annual community altar for Dia de los Muertos. There is always something happening in the store!
