Cecile Richards, former Planned Parenthood president, dies

Richards’ family on Monday said she passed away surrounded by her family and her dog Ollie by her side. The Richards family thanked the healthcare workers and doctors who provided her care before her passing. Richards stepped down from her post as president of the abortion provider Planned Parenthood in 2018 after serving for 12 years, according to the organization. Richards was 67 years old and had been diagnosed with brain cancer in 2023, she revealed in a January 2024 interview with The Cut. 

What did Richards do after she left Planned Parenthood? When she announced she was leaving Planned Parenthood in 2018, she promised to continue her work as a pro-abortion activist and speaker. Prior to Election Day last year, Richards published a letter to women in America in Rolling Stone magazine endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Richards based her endorsement on the pair’s pro-abortion stance, she explained in the letter.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift about how Trump advisers Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have indicated they seek to cut funding to Planned Parenthood under Trump’s administration.