Cecile Richards, an advocate for women’s rights and 12-year president of Planned Parenthood, passed away Monday at the age of 67.
Richards’ family did not disclose her cause of death. However, Richards spoke in an interview with Anderson Cooper last June about her battle with glioblastoma — an aggressive form of brain cancer.
According to her family’s statement, Richards died at home surrounded by family.
“Our hearts are broken today, but no words can do justice to the joy she brought to our lives,” the statement read.
Richards served as president of Planned Parenthood from 2006 to 2018, a tenure that included leading the organization through significant challenges, including during President Donald Trump’s first inauguration, when reproductive rights faced renewed political and legislative threats.
“Donald Trump has called women ‘fat pigs’ and ‘dogs,’” Richards said at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. “He wants to punish women for having abortions. And he says pregnancy is ‘an inconvenience’ for a woman’s employer.”
In 2018, Richards stepped down from Planned Parenthood to focus her efforts on Supermajority, a group she co-founded with the goal of mobilizing female voters.
She spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, emphasizing the potential consequences of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and the resulting restrictions on abortion access nationwide.
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“One day, our children and grandchildren may ask us, ‘When it was all on the line, what did you do?’” Richards said at the 2024 DNC. “And the only acceptable answer is everything we could.”
Richards’ advocacy for reproductive rights resonates in Iowa, where a six-week abortion ban took effect in July 2024. The law, one of the most restrictive in the nation, prohibits most abortions after early cardiac activity is detected. Iowa City’s Planned Parenthood center is one of six in-person locations in the state.
In the current legislative session, Iowa lawmakers are divided on abortion access, with some prioritizing further restrictions on abortion, such as a proposed ban from conception, while others focus on expanding alternatives like adoption and foster care support.
House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst has pledged to oppose any new abortion restrictions and has also expressed interest in supporting legislation aimed at mitigating the effects of the state’s six-week abortion ban.
In November 2024, former President Joe Biden awarded Richards a Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest civilian honor.
Richards died hours before Trump’s second inauguration.
Trump has not yet issued a statement on Richards’ passing, while a written statement from Biden applauded Richards’ career and extended sympathy to her family.
“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,” Biden’s statement read. “She was a leader of utmost character, and I know that her legacy will continue to inspire generations to come.”