Gina Heslop
Ruth Westheimer, famously known as Dr. Ruth, passed away at the age of 96, leaving the entire country in mourning. Dr. Ruth was a well-known sex and relationship expert who spent decades giving candid advice on these subjects. Her direct and honest approach made her a beloved figure, famous for her open discussions about sex and relationships.
According to The New York Times, Dr. Ruth died at her home in New York. Her spokesman, Pierre Lehu, confirmed the news. Born Karola Ruth Siegel in Germany in 1928, Dr. Ruth experienced the horrors of World War II. She was Jewish and narrowly escaped the Holocaust by moving to the United States as a teenager. These traumatic experiences shaped her belief that sex should be enjoyed.
Dr. Ruth began her career in her 50s by answering questions about relationships and sex on the radio in the 1980s. Her advice was featured in more than 40 books, including guides on health and sexuality, where she discussed topics that many doctors still avoid.
She wrote a regular column in Playgirl magazine and lent her name to a computer game and an educational board game. Her visits to college campuses were often major events for students, and she quickly became a recognizable face in commercials and TV shows. In 1985, she appeared in the French film “One Woman or Two,” starring Gerard Depardieu and Sigourney Weaver.
Dr. Ruth’s unique approach to therapy and her knowledge of sex and relationships made her a standout figure. At a time when open discussions about sex were rare, she boldly talked about sexual pleasure and healthy relationships. Her small stature, standing at just 4-foot-7, combined with her wry smile and light accent, made her even more memorable. The Wall Street Journal once described her as “a cross between Henry Kissinger and a canary.”
Her radio show comments have become part of her legacy. She once said, “To make your partner happy is the most important thing in sex. If you don’t, it’s bad for both of you.” She also believed, “Sexuality should be celebrated, not hidden or shamed.”
Dr. Ruth was born to Orthodox Jewish parents, Julius and Irma Siegel, on June 4, 1928, in Wiesenfeld, Germany. Her early life was happy until the rise of Nazi Germany. After her father was taken away in 1938, she was sent to an orphanage in Switzerland, where she was treated poorly. She never saw her parents or grandparents again, as they were killed in Auschwitz.
In her youth, Dr. Ruth moved to Israel and married her first husband, but the marriage didn’t last. She then married a Frenchman and had a child, but that marriage also ended. After moving to New York City in the 1950s, she met telecommunications engineer Manfred Westheimer. They married in the early 1960s and stayed together until Manfred’s death in 1997.
Dr. Ruth is survived by her son Joel Westheimer, daughter Miriam Westheimer, and four grandchildren. Her legacy as a pioneer in sex and relationship advice will be remembered for generations.
