Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the renowned sex therapist, talk show host, and author, has passed away at the age of 96, her publicist confirmed.
Publicist Pierre Lehu shared, “With great personal sorrow, I inform you of the passing of the iconic Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer at the age of 96. I’ve had the honor of being her ‘Minister of Communications’ since 1981.”
Her family also stated, “The children of Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer are heartbroken to announce their mother’s passing. Dr. Ruth was an internationally celebrated sex therapist, author, talk show host, professor, and Holocaust orphan. She passed away peacefully at home in New York City on July 12th, surrounded by her loving family, just over a month after her 96th birthday.”
For many years, Dr. Ruth’s witty and insightful advice made her one of America’s most beloved and trusted voices on sexual matters.
Born Karola Ruth Siegel in 1928 in the village of Wiesenfeld, now Karlstadt am Main, Germany, Dr. Ruth’s early life was marked by hardship. The only child of Orthodox Jewish parents, she was sent to a Swiss orphanage to escape the Nazis; tragically, she later learned her parents perished in the Holocaust.
After World War II, she moved to British-controlled Palestine, training as a member of the Haganah, a Jewish militia striving for Israeli independence. She later settled in Paris and New York, earning a master’s degree in sociology from the New School and a doctorate in education from Columbia University, eventually becoming a trained sex therapist at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center.
In 1967, Dr. Ruth married fellow Holocaust survivor Manfred “Fred” Westheimer, her third husband, with whom she had two children. She worked for Planned Parenthood, taught as a college professor, and maintained a private practice before her rise to media fame.
Dr. Ruth’s career took off in the early 1980s, thanks to her radio show “Sexually Speaking,” where she provided live advice to call-in listeners. Her success transitioned to television, books, and even board games. She hosted TV shows like “The Dr. Ruth Show,” “Ask Dr. Ruth,” and “The All New Dr. Ruth Show.” Her approachable, informed perspective also made her a favorite guest on game shows and late-night talk shows, including “Hollywood Squares,” “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,” and “Late Night with David Letterman.”
She authored many best-selling books such as “Dr. Ruth’s Guide to Good Sex,” “Dr. Ruth’s Guide for Married Lovers,” and her autobiography “All in a Lifetime.”
Dr. Ruth was also a trailblazer in addressing the AIDS epidemic during its peak, encouraging compassion and sensitivity towards those affected by the disease. She shared with ABC’s “Nightline” in 2019, “Because of my background as a German-Jewish refugee, I inherently understood the need to support those who were wrongfully marginalized.”
Despite her extensive fame, Dr. Ruth lived in the same Manhattan apartment for 50 years, where she raised her two children. Reflecting on her life, she once told ABC’s Linsey Davis, “Hitler is dead, my grandchildren are alive, and I am very successful. What more could I ask for?”
Dr. Ruth is survived by her children, Joel and Miriam, and her four grandchildren.
