Pioneering sex therapist and cultural icon Dr. Ruth Westheimer, renowned for breaking down taboos with her candid and good-humored conversations about human intimacy, has died at the age of 96.
According to her longtime publicist Pierre Lehu, Westheimer passed away peacefully on Friday at her home in New York City. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Rising to fame in the early 1980s, Westheimer was in her 50s when she became a household name through her frank discussions about sex on her popular late-night radio show, “Sexually Speaking.” She expanded her reach with “The Dr. Ruth Show” on television, which garnered 2 million viewers a week by 1985. She also authored numerous books, including “Dr. Ruth’s Guide to Good Sex” and “Sex for Dummies,” taught at prestigious universities like Yale, Princeton, Columbia, and Hunter College, and shared her expertise online and in classrooms.
Westheimer was an advocate for safe sex and normalized the public use of terms like “penis,” “vagina,” and “condom” at a time when such language was rarely spoken openly. She also supported gay rights and abortion rights, attracting criticism from conservatives during the Reagan era.
Despite opposition from figures like anti-feminist leader Phyllis Schlafly and Catholic priest Rev. Edwin O’Brien, Westheimer approached her work enthusiastically and with a sense of fun. Known for her distinctive voice and diminutive stature, she often reminded people that there should be no shame in discussing sex, famously encouraging everyone to “Get Some!”
In a 2007 interview with NPR, she underscored her belief in the necessity of sexuality education, stressing that it should be based on scientifically validated data and presented with humor.
Her cheerful public persona masked a challenging early life. Born Karola Ruth Siegel in 1928 in Frankfurt, Germany, she was sent to Switzerland by her parents to escape Nazi persecution. Believing her parents were killed at Auschwitz, Westheimer rarely spoke of her past until the release of the 2019 Hulu documentary “Ask Dr. Ruth.”
After World War II, she moved to Palestine, where she trained as a scout and sniper for the Haganah and sustained serious injuries during a mortar attack. She later relocated to Paris to study psychology at the Sorbonne before moving to the United States in 1956, where she worked as a maid while earning a master’s degree in sociology from the New School and a Doctorate of Education from Columbia University’s Teacher’s College.
Her work at Planned Parenthood in Harlem teaching sex education led her to a deeper study of sexuality, setting the stage for her influential career. Beyond her role as a sex therapist, Westheimer became a cultural figure, making appearances on late-night TV, starring in the comedy movie “One Woman Or Two,” appearing on magazine covers, and even hosting Playboy videos. She inspired a one-woman play, “Becoming Dr. Ruth,” and the board game, “Dr. Ruth’s Game of Good Sex.”
Public figures expressed their sorrow at her passing on social media, reminiscing about her impact. New York Governor Kathy Hochul remembered Westheimer’s role as New York’s first-ever Ambassador to Loneliness, praising her bravery, humor, and intelligence. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, highlighted the recent acquisition of Westheimer’s papers by the Library of Congress, hoping they would aid researchers and raise awareness about the issues her listeners struggled with.
Westheimer was married three times, with her third marriage to fellow Holocaust survivor Manfred “Fred” Westheimer lasting 36 years until his death in 1997. She is survived by two children and four grandchildren.