NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) – Internationally known sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer passed away Friday (July 12) peacefully at her home in New York City, surrounded by her two children. News of her death was confirmed to several media outlets via her publicist, Pierre Lehu. A cause of death was not disclosed. She was 96.
Known to millions as “Dr. Ruth,” Westheimer became a household name with her unique blend of wit, warmth, and wisdom, delivered in her distinctive German accent. She was a tireless advocate for sexual education, helping to demystify and normalize discussions about sexual desires and practices.
Born in Germany in 1928, Dr. Ruth was sent to Switzerland at age 10 on the eve of World War II to escape the Nazis. She believed her parents were murdered at Auschwitz since she never saw them again – a tragedy that profoundly influenced her life and work. As a teenager, she moved to Jerusalem and trained as a sniper with the Haganah, a Zionist militant group.
Westheimer later studied in Paris before immigrating to New York City, earning a degree from Teachers College at Columbia University. Her first radio show, “Sexually Speaking,” debuted in New York in 1980 and quickly gained a national following. This success led to her television show, “The Dr. Ruth Show,” on the Lifetime network, where she continued to offer candid advice on taboo sexual topics.
Throughout her career, Dr. Ruth authored over 37 books and appeared on numerous television shows, always encouraging her audience to “have good sex.” She remained a vibrant and active figure in public life well into her 90s, recently serving as New York state’s honorary ambassador to loneliness.
Dr. Ruth’s contributions extended beyond her professional work. She was a dedicated Museum of Jewish Heritage member and actively participated in Holocaust remembrance events. In her 2015 book, The Doctor Is In: Dr. Ruth on Love, Life, and Joie de Vivre, she wrote, “To allow the joy to come front and center in your life, you also have to feel your emotions, even the sad ones. You have to mourn; let the tears pour out. If you bottle the sadness in, the joy gets bottled right along with it.”
Dr. Ruth Westheimer leaves a legacy of compassion, education, and joyful living. Her forthcoming book on loneliness, set to be released posthumously in September, is a testament to her enduring impact on millions of lives.
She is preceded in death by her third husband, a fellow Holocaust survivor who lasted 36 years, Manfred “Fred” Westheimer, who passed away in 1997. Two children and four grandchildren survive her.
RIP.
