Cecile Richards, a women’s rights activist and former president of Planned Parenthood, has died at 67, her family said.
“This morning our beloved Cecile passed away at home, surrounded by her family and her ever-loyal dog, Ollie. Our hearts are broken today but no words can do justice to the joy she brought to our lives,” her family said in a statement shared Monday with NBC News.
“We are grateful to the doctors and health care workers who provided her excellent care and the friends, family, and well-wishers who have been by her side during this challenging time,” the family said.
She was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in 2023, she revealed to The Cut last year.
The family said to those who would like to celebrate Richards’ memory, “we invite you to put on some New Orleans jazz, gather with friends and family over a good meal.”
The family ended with a quotation of Richards’ to remember: “It’s not hard to imagine future generations one day asking: ‘When there was so much at stake for our country, what did you do?’ The only acceptable answer is: ‘Everything we could.’”
Richards, the daughter of former Texas Gov. Ann Richards, previously served as deputy chief of staff to Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California.
She served as president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund from 2006 to 2018. In her last years at the helm of the organization she faced off with Donald Trump, who during his first administration moved to curtail contraception access, tighten abortion restrictions and cut back protections for Planned Parenthood services in a number of states.
During Trump’s 2016 campaign, he pledged to appoint Supreme Court justices who could help overturn Roe v. Wade. The landmark case, which guaranteed a constitutional right to abortion, was overturned in June 2022.
“I’ve been blessed to have always had work that I cared about,” Richards told The Cut last year. “So many people I’ve worked with and organized, nursing-home workers and hotel workers and janitors, they didn’t have any options. And they worked because they cared about their jobs, but they worked because they had to support a family. But I have been one of the really privileged few that could do what I thought needed doing. And so whatever comes next, I have that.”
Tributes poured in for Richards on social media Monday, remembering her as a trailblazer for reproductive rights.
Planned Parenthood wrote on X: “We are heartbroken to lose the indomitable force that is our former president, Cecile Richards. In her 12 devoted years of service to our org, she brought us to new heights in our health care, education, and advocacy work. She was the embodiment of ‘Care, no matter what.’”
“As the reproductive freedom movement navigates unchartered territory, we know Cecile would tell us the best way to honor her memory is to suit up (in pink!), link arms, and fight like hell for the health and rights of all people,” the organization continued.
President Joe Biden said Monday, “Jill and I are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Cecile Richards.”
“Cecile fearlessly led us forward to be the America we say we are. Carrying her mom’s torch for justice, she championed some of our Nation’s most important civil rights causes. She fought for the dignity of workers, defended and advanced women’s reproductive rights and equality, and mobilized our fellow Americans to exercise their power to vote,” he said. “Jill and I are sending our love and strength to her husband Kirk, her children Daniel, Hannah, and Lily, her grandson Teddy, and the entire Richards family.”
Vice President Kamala Harris praised Richards as “a force to be reckoned with.”
“Cecile led with heart, fearlessness, and courage on the frontlines of the fight for women’s rights and the dignity of every woman to make decisions about their own body. She fought tirelessly on behalf of all women, and today millions across the nation benefit from her work,” she said. “She would want us to honor her by rededicating ourselves to the fight for fundamental freedoms. Let us roll up our sleeves and make her proud.”
Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa remembered Richards as a “trailblazer, a force for good, and a voice for the voiceless.”
“Cecile was a true Texas giant whose work will continue to guide us as we push forward in the fight for justice, equality and restoring reproductive freedom,” Hinojosa said in a statement.
“Cecile Richards was a dear friend & invaluable partner in so many fights, from making sure the ACA covered birth control to keeping Planned Parenthood’s doors open no matter what,” Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) wrote on social media. “She changed the conversation around women’s health & was a fighter to the end. She will be missed.”
