Pioneering Sex Therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer Dies at 96 in New York City

Jul 13, 2024, 03:30 PM

Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the pioneering sex therapist known for her frank and humorous advice on sexual matters, has died at the age of 96. Westheimer, who gained fame as a pop icon, media star, and best-selling author, was renowned for her candid discussions on once-taboo bedroom topics. A Holocaust survivor, she was sent to a children's home in Switzerland to escape Nazi Germany. After the war, she fought for Jewish statehood as a sniper in Israel's War of Independence in 1948. She later studied at the Sorbonne and Columbia University. Westheimer's career spanned several decades, during which she became a beloved figure in American pop culture through her radio and television programs. She died on Friday at her home in New York City. Her legacy includes demystifying and celebrating facets of human sexuality that were previously shrouded in secrecy.