Sex therapist Dr Ruth Westheimer, who hosted radio talk show 'Sexually Speaking' in '80s, dies at 96

NEW YORK, NEW YORK CITY: Dr Ruth Westheimer, a sex therapist who became a pop culture phenomenon in the 1980s with her frank and humorous approach to human sexuality, recently died at the age of 96. 

The former radio talk show host died on Friday, July 12, according to her publicist and co-author Pierre Lehu.

Westheimer's death was also confirmed on her official Twitter page with a tweet stating, "The beloved Dr. Ruth has passed away."

Pierre Lehu claims Dr Ruth Westheimer ‘was restful’

Publicist Pierre Lehu stated, "She was restful when she passed away. Her son and daughter were with her and holding her hand at that moment. It was as peacefully as she could possibly go. She was 96." 

He continued about his late friend, "It's amazing, there was stuff still going on in her life [she has a book coming out this fall with Allison Gilbert] and someone wants to make a biopic about her," according to People.

Lehu did not provide further details on Westheimer's cause of death. Notably, she died at her home in New York City. In June 2023, when celebrating her 95th birthday, Westheimer said, "That I became famous. That I have a wonderful daughter, son-in-law, a wonderful son and daughter-in-law, and four wonderful grandchildren."

Who was Dr Ruth Westheimer?

Dr Ruth Westheimer was born Karola Ruth Siegel on June 4, 1928, in Wiesenfeld, Germany. As a Jewish refugee, she referred to herself as “an orphan of the Holocaust” after losing her family during World War II. 

Her father Julius was taken by the Nazis in 1938. About six weeks later, her mother and grandmother sent her on a train to Switzerland as part of the “kindertransport” which helped thousands of Jewish children escape Germany. 

After the war, she emigrated to Palestine in 1945, where she began using her middle name, Ruth, and trained as a sniper for the Israeli Army. She later moved to Paris to study psychology at Sorbonne University and eventually settled in New York City.

She met Manfred Westheimer, a telecommunications engineer and fellow Jewish refugee, in 1961. He became her third husband, and she described their 36-year union as her “real marriage.”

While pursuing postdoctoral research in human sexuality, she worked at Planned Parenthood, training family planning counselors.

In 1980, she received an offer that would change her life. Betty Elam, the community affairs manager at public radio station WYNY, who had heard Westheimer speak, proposed a call-in show on sex education.

What began as a 15-minute show after midnight evolved into the live call-in show titled 'Sexually Speaking', which lasted ten years and led to a series of TV and radio shows.

Westheimer was known for answering questions clearly and often with humor. “When people need to learn about oral sex, I would say go buy an ice cream cone and practice,” she said in 2019.

In later years, she remained relevant by lecturing, teaching, and writing books. Westheimer received many awards, including an honorary doctorate from Trinity College in 2004 and the Medal for Distinguished Service from Columbia University’s Teachers College.

In 2019, a film about her extraordinary life titled 'Ask Dr Ruth', premiered in theaters.

Westheimer is survived by her two children, Miriam and Joel, and four grandchildren. Her husband Manfred died in 1997.

Reflecting on her life, she once said, "With such a difficult beginning like me, having been an orphan at the age of 10 years old — no parents, no brothers and sisters — all I feel is gratefulness."

Internet pays tribute to Dr Ruth Westheimer after her death at 96

The internet paid tribute to sex therapist Dr Ruth Westheimer and remembered the challenges she faced during her career. Many social media users thanked and praised her for overcoming the hurdles.

One social media user shared a picture of her and wrote, "Many older people might’ve known Dr. Ruth Westheimer as the coolest, sex positive baddie ever but my generation knew her as Dr. Ruth Wordheimer on Between the Lions. She challenged the medias views of sex and was so wise and sweet. Rip icon 💔."

Another tweeted, "Remembering Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the sex therapist who became a pop culture phenomenon. She helped make a lot of people happy! (June 4, 1928 – July 12, 2024)."

One individual wrote, "She was honest, she was funny and she was smart. Best of all she was the nicest. May her memory be a blessing to her family and all who had the pleasure of knowing her. RIP Dr. Ruth Westheimer. 😔❤️🤟🏻."

Another added, "RIP Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a valiant and adorable warrior for sexual freedom and information. A Holocaust survivor, she hosted talk shows and wrote 45 books. She was a great ally of Planned Parenthood and the LGBTQ community, and made the world a less fearful place."

One person remarked, "It's Women's History Month. One of the coolest people I ever met was Dr. Ruth Westheimer. The 1st nationally syndicated female host to discuss sex education, she was frank & informative, but always courteous. She helped listeners to get answers they needed."

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online