Dr. Ruth Westheimer, America’s Beloved Sex Therapist, Passes Away at 96

Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the renowned therapist and talk show host who became one of America’s most influential voices on sex, has died at the age of 96. Westheimer passed away on Friday at her home in New York, her spokesperson confirmed to the New York Times. The cause of death was not provided.

Dr. Ruth’s journey to becoming America’s premier sexpert began in Nazi Germany, where she was born in 1928. Tragically, both her parents were killed in the Holocaust.

Westheimer launched the radio talk show “Sexually Speaking” on New York’s WYNY. The program tackled a wide range of sexual topics that had previously been considered too taboo for the airwaves. Though it only aired for 15 minutes on Sunday nights, within a year, the show attracted a quarter-million listeners. It was soon syndicated to dozens of radio stations nationwide, establishing Dr. Ruth as one of the nation’s most popular sex therapists.