The former president of Planned Parenthood and prominent women’s rights advocate, Cecile Richards, died on Monday, according to a statement from her family.
“Our hearts are broken today, but no words can do justice to the joy she brought to our lives,” the statement said.
The statement shared that Richards, who was best known for her involvement with Planned Parenthood, passed away at home while “surrounded by family and her ever-loyal dog, Ollie.”
Richards was in charge of Planned Parenthood for more than a decade and made headlines on numerous occasions for her fight for female reproductive rights. The day after Trump’s first inauguration, she addressed thousands at the Women’s March in Washington.
“Today we’re here to deliver a message: we’re not gonna take this lying down, and we will not go back,” Richards told the crowd.
The following year, Richards stepped away from the organization, refocusing her efforts on leading Supermajority, a group she co-founded that works to mobilize female voters.
In recent years, Richards was suffering from cancer, a diagnosis she received in 2023 and shared publicly a year ago. In a post on social media, she shared that treatment and time spent with family filled her days but that she continued her activism.
“After all, as my mother used to say: ‘Why should your life be just about you?’” she wrote in the post.
Richards spoke during the 2024 Democratic National Convention, sharing support for the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris. She also discussed her continued efforts after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
“One day, our children and grandchildren may ask us, ‘When it was all on the line, what did you do?’ And the only acceptable answer is, ‘Everything we could,’” Richards said.
She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November 2024 by President Joe Biden at a private ceremony at the White House.
Biden praised Richards and her “absolute courage and conviction,” saying she has an “inspiring legacy that endures in her incredible family, the countless lives she has made better, and a Nation seeking the light of equality, justice, and freedom.”