SignalHub-Suzanne Somers Dead at 76 After Breast Cancer Battle

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Suzanne Somers died peacefully at home on October 15 at the age of 76, her publicist R. Couri Hay shared in a statement, noting her husband Alan Hamel, son Bruce Somers Jr., 57 and her immediate family were by her side. 

"She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years," he shared, acknowledging that Oct. 16 would have been her 77th birthday. "They will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly. 

In July, the Three's Company star, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2000, gave fans an update on her ongoing health battle.

"Since I have been taking time off from work, many of you have asked for more details about my health," she wrote on Instagram at the time. "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."

And she was prepared to fight again. 

"I know how to put on my battle gear," the actress, who also sold beauty and wellness products, continued. "Alan has been by my side every step of the way. I can't even explain how much he has done for me. If it's even possible, we are even closer than ever. My incredible family has been so supportive, and have helped so much by keeping the business running so you can still have access to all the wonderful products. Thank you for the continued love and support. It's only about who you love and who loves you - and I love you!"

Somers shot to superstardom in the '70s thanks to her role as Chrissy on the ABC sitcom Three's Company, also starring the late John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt. She was ultimately fired from the show after asking to be paid the same as Ritter.

"I probably would have never left network series," she told People in 2020. "I would have kept on going and probably been in every sitcom after that were it not to end the way it ended. But I was ostracized. So I went away."

She went on to act in shows She's the Sheriff and Step by Step—and performed in Las Vegas. But ultimately, she found success in her wellness empire.

"That was the great thing about being fired," the acclaimed author admitted to the outlet. "I would have never been able to do what I do now."

"Life is a roller coaster," she continued. "When it's high, everything is groovy and everything is great and we've had so many highs. The lows aren't as much fun, but that's when you learn. All careers hit walls. But I reinvent myself. And I keep going."

In her personal life, she hit many highs. Though she divorced husband Bruce Somers in 1968—they wed in 1965 when she was 19—she met Hamel soon after and they said "I do" in 1977. Together, they quickly embraced their blended family. (While she shared Bruce Jr. with her ex, Hamel is dad to Stephen Hamel and Leslie Hamel from a previous marriage.)

"Kids don't know blood," the she previously shared. "They just love you. There's no ‘Yours, mine, ours or anything."

She especially loved being a grandmother to six. After all, "You're a parent with none of the responsibility of being a parent," she joked in 2017. "I look at all of them and I [think], ‘We made it through the rain,' as Barry [Manilow] says."