Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Dr. Joyce Brothers Has Died At Age 85
By
Jen Carlson
Published May 13, 2013
Modified May 13, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published May 13, 2013
Modified May 13, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Dr. Joyce Brothers (Courtesy of LIFE)
Dr. Joyce Brothers—psychologist, advice columnist, radio and television personality, and pop-culture icon—died today at age 85. Her publicist confirmed her death with the AP, but did not disclose the cause, and her daughter Lisa has released this statement: "She passed away peacefully and in her home... with her family all around her."
Brothers (who was living in Fort Lee, NJ at the time of her death) was a New Yorker—she was born in New York in 1927, attended Far Rockaway High School in the 1940s, and was earning her BA in home economics at Cornell University soon after. But it was at Columbia University where she studied psychology and earned her master's degree and doctorate.
By 1958 her expertise was showcased on NBC, and according to the Paley Center she “paved the way for others in her field to bring their talents to television." But that wasn't her first time on television, three years earlier she gained fame by winning The $64,000 Question game show.
Just over a decade later, in the 1970s, Brothers was a household name—"her reach encompassing not only television and radio, but syndicated columns in some 350 daily newspapers, as well as features written for the Hearst papers and United Press International." She appeared on talk shows, games shows, and scripted tv (including Happy Days, ALF, Ally McBeal, and Entourage) throughout the rest of her life.
Tagged
death
joyce brothers
RIP
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."
By
James Ramsay
Published Oct 22, 2026
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
Highlights of shifts in the city's business landscape.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Arts & Entertainment
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
Highlights of shifts in the city's business landscape.
By
Hannah Frishberg
A new film invites you to eavesdrop on one of the greatest conversations in NYC history
By
Sonia Rao
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
By
Sonia Rao
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .