On April 2, 2021, at approximately 11:00 pm, Simmons was rushed to a hospital in White Plains, New York, where he was reported to be in critical condition following a heart attack at his home possibly resulting from an overdose. The next day, his attorney, Murray Richman, confirmed Simmons was on life support. That same night, tabloid journalism outlet TMZ, who first reported on the hospitalization, stated that Simmons had suffered oxygen deprivation to his brain as paramedics attempted to resuscitate him for 30 minutes. Simmons' former manager, Nakia Walker, said he was in a "vegetative state" with "lung and brain failure and no current brain activity". His manager, Steve Rifkind, stated Simmons was comatose and that he was set to undergo tests to determine his brain's functionality which would allow his family to "determine what's best from there".
On April 9, 2021, Simmons had reportedly lost functionality in multiple essential organs, including his lungs. Simmons was pronounced dead later that day, age 50, according to a statement released by his family.