July 14th 2024.
Ruth Westheimer, a renowned sex therapist affectionately known as "Dr. Ruth", has passed away at the age of 96. She was a true legend in her field, known for her frankness and her popular TV talk show, aptly named The Dr. Ruth Show. In the 1980s, millions of viewers tuned in to watch her show, with hundreds of thousands watching at night when it aired.
Not only did Dr. Ruth have a successful TV career, but she also hosted a radio call-in show called Sexually Speaking for a decade and wrote an impressive 45 books on sex and sexuality. Her publicist, Pierre Lehu, who co-authored some of her books, confirmed the news of her passing and shared that she was surrounded by her loved ones in her final moments. Lehu described her passing as peaceful and said that she was 96 years old.
Dr. Ruth was beloved for her willingness to break down the stigma surrounding discussions about sex. Lehu shared that she had a biopic in the works, which is a testament to the lasting impact she had on society. Born in Germany in 1928 as Karola Ruth Siegel, she grew up in a Jewish household and was the only child of her parents. Her mother worked as a housekeeper, and her father was a notions wholesaler.
During the Holocaust, Dr. Ruth's father was sent to a concentration camp, and her mother and grandmother sent her to Switzerland for safety. She stayed in an orphanage until she was reunited with her family after the war. Tragically, both of her parents were killed during the Holocaust. As a teenager, she emigrated to Mandatory Palestine (now Israel) and trained as a sniper in the Israeli military. She was injured in action on her 20th birthday and spent months recovering.
After her time in the military, Dr. Ruth moved to France to study psychology at the University of Paris. She then moved to New York in her late 20s and later became a US citizen. With her background in psychology, she trained as a sex therapist and launched her famous radio show Sexually Speaking in 1980 when she was 52 years old. The show quickly gained a quarter of a million listeners in just one year and continued for a decade.
In the mid-1980s, Dr. Ruth expanded her reach to TV, hosting various programs for Lifetime and eventually creating her own show, The Dr. Ruth Show. She was also married three times, including to fellow Holocaust survivor Manfred "Fred" Westheimer, with whom she had two children.
Throughout her life, Dr. Ruth crossed paths with many celebrities, including rapper Busta Rhymes and Sir Elton John. Her death has been met with an outpouring of tributes, with many acknowledging her groundbreaking work in breaking down the taboo of discussing sex. Film and TV journalist Rendy Jones shared her personal experience with Dr. Ruth, while actress Marlee Matlin, RuPaul's Drag Race star Ross Matthews, and film critic Courtney Howard all paid their respects and praised her impact on society.
Dr. Ruth's legacy will live on through her groundbreaking work and the countless lives she touched with her honest, funny, and wise approach to discussing sex. Rest in peace, Dr. Ruth.
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