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Ruth Westheimer, the celebrity sex therapist who revolutionized conversations surrounding sexuality, has died aged 96.
Westheimer, who gained notoriety as “Dr. Ruth,” was a trailblazing radio host turned sex guru. Westheimer was in her 50s when she began taking questions from readers on WYNY, a New York public radio station. The radio show ultimately lasted 10 years and made Westheimer an overnight sensation.
From hosting one of the most popular call-in radio shows to publishing nearly 50 books about sex, Westheimer’s net worth was estimated to be $3 million prior to her death, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
“Sexually Speaking,” which initially aired every Sunday at midnight, began to attract 250,000 listeners every week just one year after its debut on WYNY. By 1983, Westheimer’s show was rated one of the top radio shows in New York.
Westheimer went on to launch a television show, The Dr. Ruth Show, which had attracted two million viewers per week by 1985. She also hosted several other TV series – including Ask Dr. Ruth, The All New Dr. Ruth Show, a teen advice show called What’s Up, Dr. Ruth?, and another call-in show, You’re on the Air with Dr. Ruth.
As Westheimer grew into a household name, she soon became a regular on many late-night television programs, most notably on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman.
Over the span of her decades-long career, Westheimer has published a whopping 45 books on sex and sexuality, including the best-selling Sex For Dummies and Sexually Speaking: What Every Woman Needs To Know About Sexual Health.
Westheimer’s success came after she spent her early life in Germany. She was born in 1928 as Karola Ruth Siegel to religious Jews. Her father, Julius Siegel, was arrested by Nazis and at age 10, she was sent to live at an orphanage in Switzerland.
She lost her entire family during the Holocaust, and moved to British-controlled Palestine in 1945 at 16 years old. She later served as a sniper in a Jewish paramilitary group in Jerusalem.
In 1950, Westheimer moved to France at the age of 22 to study psychology at the Sorbonne. She immigrated to the United States six years later, earning a masters degree in sociology from The New School. In 1970, Westheimer received a doctorate in education from Columbia University when she was 42 years old, before training as a sex therapist at the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center.
Her commitment to sex education continued while training at a Planned Parenthood in Harlem, which encouraged her to teach others about sexuality. Westheimer has taught at several universities, including Lehman College, Brooklyn College, Hunter College, Columbia University, Yale University, Princeton University, and New York University.
Westheimer was married three times. While her first two marriages were brief, her third marriage to fellow Holocaust survivor Manfred “Fred” Westheimer lasted 36 years until his death in 1997.
She is survived by two children – daughter Miriam Yael Westheimer and son Joel Westheimer – as well as four grandchildren.
