January 1, Iconic Sex Therapist Passes at 96: Remarkable Life Journey Revealed

Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the iconic sex therapist known to millions simply as “Dr. Ruth,” passed away on Friday in her Manhattan home at the age of 96. Her publicist and co-author, Pierre Lehu, confirmed her passing, which reportedly occurred in the presence of her family.

Born in Germany and losing both of her parents in the Holocaust, Westheimer only reached fame in her 50s. She began hosting a pioneering radio show in New York City called “Sexually Speaking.” She went on to host a television show, appear in films, and write over 40 books about how to have a more satisfying sex life.

Her life was filled with numerous chapters, including escaping Nazi Germany as a Jewish refugee. She served as a sniper in the Israeli army, worked as a housekeeper in New York City, and eventually obtained her doctorate from Columbia University to embark on life as a sex therapist.

Her nonjudgmental nature put people at ease, and her advice on intimacy was often pithy and direct. For example, she encouraged having sex before dinner, sharing fantasies, and being flexible with partners who have differing sexual appetites. She shunned the word “normal,” suggesting that anything between two consenting adults done in privacy was fine.

Westheimer once shared her philosophy on staying youthful and relevant. “Talking about sex from morning ’til night! That keeps you young.”

Despite controversy surrounding her views on consent in the wake of the #MeToo movement, Westheimer remained a beloved figure. She was listed as Number 13 in a magazine’s list of the 55 most important people in the sex field in the past 55 years.

Throughout her life, Westheimer communicated her gratitude for surviving the Holocaust and felt it was her duty to offer something in return. She once told the Harvard Business Review, “I did not know that my eventual contribution to the world would be to talk about orgasms and erections, but I did know I had to do something for others to justify being alive.”

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