Abortion Rights Activist Cecile Richards Has Died at Age 67

Cecile Richards wears a bright pink dress and stands in front of a wall of flowers — (Image credit: Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

Cecile Richards, the former president of Planned Parenthood and a staunch protector of women's rights, has died at age 67.

In January 2024, Richards shared that she'd been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, for which she underwent treatment. On Monday, Jan. 20, Richards's family shared a statement paying tribute to "our beloved Cecile" following her death.

Cecile's husband, Kirk Adams, and their three children—Lily, Hannah, and Daniel—said in a statement via email that the Planned Parenthood pioneer had "passed away at home, surrounded by her family and her ever-loyal dog, Ollie." The statement explained, "Our hearts are broken today but no words can do justice to the joy she brought to our lives."

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The family thanked "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."

Cecile Richards stands at a podium outside the White House in 2017 — "'When there was so much at stake for our country, what did you do?' The only acceptable answer is: 'Everything we could.'"

Richards's family also offered a suggestion for how the general public might celebrate one of America's most important activists in recent history. "[W]e invite you to put on some New Orleans jazz, gather with friends and family over a good meal, and remember something she said a lot over the last year: '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.'"

While details of Richards's memorial are not yet available, her family directed supporters to a number of important resources, all of which support causes crucial to her work.

"Gifts to Abortion in America to support her work lifting up personal stories around the impact of abortion bans can be made," the statement explained. "She was also inspired by the many local and grassroots organizations working to support people seeking reproductive health care, especially in the south, including Lift Louisiana, Midwest Access Project, Women’s Emergency Network, Tampa Bay Abortion Fund, Lilith Fund, and the M+A Hotline. And, of course, she was a lifelong supporter of Planned Parenthood."

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.