More On:
Suzanne Somers
-
Barry Manilow Tells Drew Barrymore He “Didn’t Know” How Sick Longtime Friend Suzanne Somers Was Before Her Death: “That Was A Tragedy”
-
The Late Suzanne Somers Forged Intense Bond With Olivia Newton-John When Both Were Diagnosed With Cancer: “Olivia Taught Me Not To Be Afraid”
-
Suzanne Somers Reveals She Declined Chance to Co-Host ‘The View’ Alongside Barbara Walters
-
‘Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles’ Exclusive: Josh Flagg Gets Some “Frustrating” News From Suzanne Somers
Suzanne Somers, the actress best known for her role in Three’s Company has died. She was 76.
According to a spokesperson for Somers, she died following a lengthy battle with cancer on Sunday, Oct. 15 — only one day before what would have been her 77th birthday.
“Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of Oct. 15,” the spokesperson said in a statement on behalf of her family, per the Los Angeles Times. “She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years.”
They continued, “Suzanne was surrounded by her loving husband Alan [Hamel], her son Bruce, and her immediate family. Her family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on Oct. 16. Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly.”
Somers got her start in the industry in the 1968 Steve McQueen film Bullitt, before going on to star in George Lucas‘ American Graffiti in 1973. She also made appearances in shows like The Rockford Files, Starsky and Hutch and The Love Boat.
!['Three's Company'](https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/threes-company.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=300 300w, https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/threes-company.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=640 640w, https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/threes-company.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1280 1280w, https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/threes-company.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=885 885w, https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/threes-company.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1284 1284w)
The star, however, is best known for her breakout role as Chrissy Snow on Three’s Company. She starred alongside the late John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt on the hit sitcom from 1977 to 1981, but was ultimately fired during the show’s fifth season after a salary dispute. At the time, Somers demanded a salary increase from $30,000 to $150,000 to match Ritter’s pay — as well as 10% of the show’s profits, per The Guardian.
After leaving Three’s Company, Somers went on to star in the ABC sitcom Step by Step — which ran from 1991 to 1998 — alongside Patrick Duffy. Throughout the ’90s, she was also the spokeswoman for the ThighMaster infomercials, starred in a biopic about herself called Keeping Secrets and launched Suzanne Somers, her own daytime talk show.
In 2000, Somers was diagnosed with breast cancer following a routine mammogram. After undergoing radiation, a lumpectomy and alternative medicine, she announced that she was cancer-free. However, she revealed earlier this year that the disease had returned.
“As you know, I had breast cancer two decades ago, and every now and then it pops up again, and I continue to bat it down,” she wrote in a July Instagram post. “I have used the best alternative and conventional treatments to combat it. This is not new territory for me. I know how to put on my battle gear and I’m a fighter.”