July 13 (UPI) — Famed sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer, who counseled generations about relationships on TV and the radio, has died at the age of 96.
“The children of Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer are sad to announce the passing of their mother, the internationally-celebrated sex therapist, author, talk-show host, professor, and orphan of the Holocaust,” her family said in a statement Saturday.
The German-born psychiatrist’s publicist Pierre Lehu said she died Friday at her home in Manhattan.
The cause of her death has not been disclosed.
Westheimer moved to the United States in 1956 and worked in academia until 1980 when her segment “Sexually Speaking” on New York’s WYNY radio network became a pop-culture touchstone.
She later hosted The Dr. Ruth Show and Good Sex! on television, and was a popular guest on late-night talk shows. She also wrote more than 60 books.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul named Westheimer the state’s honorary ambassador to loneliness in 2023.
“Dr. Ruth took the shame out of sex, by emphasizing love and pleasure in its place, and she had that great giggle,” said Anka Radakovich, who wrote a sex column in Details Magazine. “She influenced a whole new generation of women to pursue the field.”
Westheimer is survived by her two children and four grandchildren.
The family intends to hold a private funeral for her.
