Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Renowned Radio and TV Sex Therapist, Dies

Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a renowned sex therapist and media personality, passed away on Saturday at the age of 96. The spokesperson Pierre Lehu confirmed her death to The New York Times, stating that she died at her Manhattan home in New York City.

Dr. Ruth, originally named Karola Ruth Siegel, led a remarkable life filled with adventure and resilience. As a young girl, she escaped the horrors of the Holocaust and later trained as a sniper for a Jewish paramilitary group in Palestine.

Decades later, she became an influential figure in America, changing the way people talk about sex and pleasure. Her journey to becoming a household name began in 1980 with her radio show, “Sexually Speaking.”

“Sexually Speaking” aired every Sunday at midnight in New York City and quickly gained popularity, running successfully for a decade. The show, which started as a 15-minute segment, was notable for its candid discussions on human sexuality, reflecting Dr. Ruth’s vast expertise as a researcher and professor of human sexuality.

Four years after its inception, “Sexually Speaking” was syndicated by NBC Radio and was rebranded as “The Dr. Ruth Show.”

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Dr. Ruth became a familiar face on television, hosting various shows that discussed human sexuality and pleasure. Among her prominent shows were “Good Sex! With Dr. Ruth Westheimer” and “Ask Dr. Ruth.” She also made numerous guest appearances on late-night and network TV shows, cementing her status as a cultural icon with her unique ability to discuss sex humorously and openly.

One of her famous quotes was, “When it comes to sex, the most important six inches are the ones between the ears.”

In the early and mid-2000s, Dr. Ruth also contributed to the PBS children’s series “Between the Lines,” where she appeared as “Dr. Ruth Wordheimer,” helping children with reading and spelling in a humorous manner.

Her life story was the subject of a 2019 Hulu documentary titled “Ask Dr. Ruth,” where she shared her early life experiences for the first time.

Over her extensive career, Dr. Ruth authored 45 books, focusing on gender, sexual health, and pleasure. She adapted to the digital age too, amassing a following of over 100,000 on Twitter.

However, her later years were not without controversy. In a 2015 book promotion, she made contentious comments about sex and consent, suggesting that once in bed, consent could not be withdrawn.

She later clarified her stance through tweets, emphasizing her opposition to rape while advising women on understanding risky behaviors.

Dr. Ruth was born on June 4, 1928, to Orthodox Jewish parents in Wiesenfeld, Germany. In 1939, her mother sent her to an orphanage in Switzerland when she was 11, shortly after her father was taken by the Nazis. Tragically, her father was killed at Auschwitz in 1942, and her mother also perished during World War II under unknown circumstances.

After the war, at 17, Dr. Ruth moved to Mandatory Palestine, where she joined the Haganah paramilitary organization and trained as a sniper. Although she never killed anyone, she once mentioned her proficiency with hand grenades and firearms.

She was severely wounded by shrapnel in both legs in 1948 and spent several months recovering before moving to Paris to study and teach psychology at the University of Paris.

In 1956, she immigrated to the United States, earning a degree in sociology from The New School and later a doctorate in education from Columbia University. New York City became her permanent home, and she became an American citizen in 1965.

Dr. Ruth was married three times and had two children, Miriam and Joel. Her last husband, Fred Westheimer, passed away in 1997.

Throughout her life, Dr. Ruth was staunch in her belief in the importance of a satisfying sex life, insisting that everyone has the right to it.

Her legacy will be remembered for her candid and humorous approach to discussing sex, influencing generations to talk more openly about sexual health and pleasure.

Source: The New York Times