Suzanne Somers, Three’s Company star, dies after long battle with cancer

Actor Suzanne Somers, who is well-known for her hit sitcoms like Three Companyand Step by Step,is no more. Suzanne died on Sunday, (15 Oct) following her 23-yearbattle with cancer. She was 76.

Somers breathed her last breath at their home in Palm Springs, surrounded by family.

Her publicist, R. Couri Hay, said in a statement, “Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of October 15th. She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years.''

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Somers died just a day before her 77th birthday (16 Oct).

The statement further reads, "Suzanne was surrounded by her loving husband, Alan, her son, Bruce, and her immediate family," the statement read. "Her family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on Oct. 16th. Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and they want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly."

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A post shared by Suzanne Somers (@suzannesomers)

The actress battled cancer for 23 years. And, in July, Somers shared on her Instagram that her breast cancer had returned. She was first diagnosed with cancer in 2000.

Sharing a photo with her husband Alan Hamel, she wrote, "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. 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."

She was born in 1946 in San Bruno, California.Her mother was a medical secretary and her father was a gardener. Somers' childhood was not easy. Her father was abusive and alcoholic.

She got married at a very young age to Bruce Somers after she got pregnant with her only child Brice Jr. However, the couple divorced a few years later.

To support herself, Somers began modelling and worked on the game show The Anniversary Game, hosted by Alan Hamel. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, she began acting in small, uncredited roles.

She was a part of TV shows like The Love Boat, The Rockford Files, and One Day at a Time Before Landing. However, her major breakthrough came in 1977, when she got the role of Chrissy Snow in Three's Company.

Later, she got the role of Carol Foster Lambert inStep by Step (1991–1998). In addition to her acting, she has written over 20 books, including autobiographies, diet, and health. However, her book on cancer and the alternative treatment was heavily criticised by the American Cancer Society.

Somers is survived by her husbandHamel, her son Bruce Jr, whom he shared with her first husband, and her stepchildren Stephen and Leslie Hamel.

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