Cecile Richards, the former president of Planned Parenthood died on Monday at the age of 67 after battling brain cancer.
"This morning our beloved Cecile passed away at home, surrounded by her family and her ever-loyal dog, Ollie," Richards' family wrote in a statement. "Our hearts are broken today but no words can do justice to the joy she brought to our lives."
Richards led Planned Parenthood as its president from 2006 to 2018, significantly elevating the organization's profile despite ongoing criticism from conservatives and anti-abortion activists who repeatedly called for its defunding.
Richards, the daughter of former Texas Governor Ann Richards, a political icon in her own right, rose to national prominence in 2015 after anti-abortion activists released secretly recorded videos purportedly showing Planned Parenthood workers discussing the sale of fetal tissue.
While Planned Parenthood maintained the recordings were doctored, they triggered numerous congressional and state investigations, none of which substantiated the claims. The controversy culminated in an hours-long, widely publicized hearing where Richards was intensely questioned by House Republicans.
After leaving Planned Parenthood in 2018, Richards co-founded Supermajority, an organization focused on advancing women's leadership.
"Together, we have made real progress in this country, expanding access to services and making reproductive rights a central priority of our nation's health care system," Richards said in January 2018 when she announced she was stepping down. "I'm deeply proud of the progress we've made for the millions of people Planned Parenthood health centers serve across the country each year."
Following the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade—centered on state-level abortion restrictions Richards had long fought against—she launched Charley, a bot designed to provide accurate information to those seeking abortions, and Abortion in America, a campaign highlighting personal stories of post-Roe abortions. In late 2024, Richards was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Joe Biden, the nation's highest civilian award.
"One of the biggest lessons I've learned as a lifelong organizer is that there are no permanent wins and no permanent losses. We have to fight for every inch of progress, and we can't take anything for granted," Richards wrote on Instagram after receiving the honor.
"That's especially true in challenging moments like the one we find ourselves in now. But what a joy and a privilege it is to be part of the long struggle to make our country a fairer and more hopeful place."
After her brain cancer diagnosis in 2023, Richards remained dedicated to advancing left-wing causes. She served as co-chair of American Bridge 21st Century, a prominent Democratic network with a powerful Super PAC, and delivered a speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention endorsing Kamala Harris. Richards also joined Kate Cox, a Texas woman who sued after being denied a medically necessary abortion, in casting Texas's ceremonial votes for Harris.
