Celebrity sex therapist Dr Ruth Westheimer dies at 96

Dr Ruth Westheimer, a renowned sex therapist and talk show host, passed away at the age of 96. Her publicist confirmed her death to BBC News partner CBS News but did not provide a cause. Dr Ruth, as she was commonly known, became famous for her open discussions about sex, making her a pop culture icon and a best-selling author with books like 'Sex for Dummies'. She advocated for open conversations about sex with a non-judgmental approach. Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Dr Ruth was a Holocaust survivor. In the 1980s, she hosted a local radio program called 'Sexually Speaking', which gained significant recognition and was nationally syndicated in 1984, propelling her to national fame. Her first book, 'Dr Ruth's Guide to Good Sex', was published in 1983 and aimed to demystify sex. This was the first of over 40 books she authored. The following year, she launched a television program called 'The Dr. Ruth Show' and wrote a nationally syndicated advice column. Dr Ruth frequently appeared 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 that Dr Ruth would become the state's honorary ambassador to loneliness. Dr Ruth expressed her deep honor and promised to work tirelessly to help New Yorkers feel less lonely. Born in 1928 as Karola Ruth Siegel, she was sent to Switzerland at the age of ten by her parents to escape Kristallnacht, a violent riot carried out by Nazis against Jews before the Holocaust. Dr Ruth never saw her parents again and believed they were killed in the gas chambers of Auschwitz, a Nazi death camp. Dr Ruth Westheimer will be remembered for her contributions to sex education and her open, non-judgmental approach to discussing intimate subjects.