Renowned sex therapist and talk show host Dr Ruth Westheimer, who spoke openly about sex and intimate subjects, died on Friday at 96 years old.
Her publicist confirmed her death to BBC News partner CBS News without providing a cause.
Ruth Westheimer, often referred to as Dr Ruth, became known for talking openly about sex, becoming a pop culture icon as well as a best-selling author with guides like “Sex for Dummies”.
She pushed for having open conversations about sex with a non-judgmental approach.
Dr Ruth, who spoke with a German accent, is a Holocaust survivor who was born in Frankfurt, Germany.
Her 1980s local radio program called “Sexually Speaking” became well recognized and placed her on the path to national fame when it was nationally syndicated in 1984.
She wrote her first book, Dr Ruth’s Guide to Good Sex, in 1983 in which she aimed to demystify sex. It was the first of more than 40 books she authored.
Dr Ruth launched a television program the following year called The Dr. Ruth Show and wrote a nationally syndicated advice column.
“I knew that there is a lot of knowledge that is around but doesn’t get to young people,” Dr Ruth told NBC Nightly News in 2019.
Dr Ruth frequently made appearances on talk shows including The Howard Stern Radio Show, the Dr. Oz Show, Nightline, the Tonight Show and Late Night with David Letterman.
Last November, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Dr Ruth would become the state’s honorary ambassador to loneliness.
“I am deeply honoured and promised the governor that I will work day and night to help New Yorkers feel less lonely!” Dr Ruth said at the time.
