Ruth Westheimer — better known as the legendary TV sex therapist Dr. Ruth — has died in New York City.
The German-born, Jewish Holocaust survivor passed away at her home on Friday, according to her rep, Pierre Lehu, who declined to give a cause of death.
In the ’80’s, Dr. Ruth had a huge following on NYC radio network WYNY with her first call-in show, “Sexually Speaking,” which led to her success in television as well.
During her radio segments, fans would mail in questions to the sex guru, who would then respond to them on air.
“Sexually Speaking” launched her career into the stratosphere with its 15-minute segments after midnight on Sundays. Because of the program’s popularity, Dr. Ruth soon became a household name in America and opened her own super successful brand-name company.
Dr. Ruth also appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” Nightline,” “The Tonight Show,” and “The Dr. Oz Show.”
What’s more, she landed some Hollywood TV roles, playing herself in episodes of “Quantum Leap” and “Love Boat: The Next Wave.”
And finally, she wrote several books, including “Sex for Dummies,” “All in a Lifetime” (1987) and “Musically Speaking: A Life Through Song” (2003).
Dr. Ruth was 96.
RIP