Elizabeth Banks ‘heartbroken’ over death of activist Cecile Richards

Elizabeth Banks has paid a heartfelt tribute to late activist Cecile Richards.

On Monday, Cecile’s family announced that she had died at home surrounded by her husband and children. She was 67.

Cecile – who served as the president of Planned Parenthood from 2006 until 2018 – was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, last year.

Taking to Instagram following the sad news, Elizabeth posted several photos of Cecile and thanked her for leaving behind an “incredible legacy”.

“I’m heartbroken to hear of the passing of one of my heroes, Cecile Richards,” she wrote. “Her work as the president of Planned Parenthood deeply inspired me and so many. Cecile was a true patriot who championed access to reproductive healthcare for millions of Americans and was a leader for women everywhere.”

In her own post, Busy Philipps called Cecile a “true American hero gone far too soon”, while Padma Lakshmi insisted she would “never forget” the activist.

“Oh no, dear sweet Cecile! I learned so much from her. What a light in the world she has always been. I will never forget her,” the TV personality wrote.

Elsewhere, Allison Janney offered a heartfelt thanks to Cecile for all that she had “fought for on behalf of women’s rights”, and Rosario Dawson labelled the Texas native as a “tremendous being”.

“Blessings to you and your family Cecile. What a tremendous being you were. Thank you for your work and your light and love. We are all better for it,” the actress added.

In addition, outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden noted he was “deeply saddened” to hear of Cecile’s passing and described her as “a leader of utmost character”.