Patrick Duffy, Joyce DeWitt, Fran Drescher, Barry Manilow, Leeza Gibbons and More Remember Suzanne Somers: “The Light for So Many”

Kimberly Nordyke
·6 min read
16

Hollywood is mourning the death of Suzanne Somers, who became a household name with her role in Three’s Company and later went on to star in Step by Step and She’s the Sheriff.

Somers died Sunday at age 76 at her home in Palm Springs after a battle with cancer, her longtime publicist R. Couri Hay said in a statement.

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“She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years. 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 want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly.”

Somers starred in Three’s Company opposite John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt for four seasons. At the start of the fifth season, she asked for a raise from $30,000 an episode to $150,000 an episode, equal to what Ritter was making. ABC offered only a $5,000 bump, and Somers missed two episode tapings before being fired by the network.

DeWitt remembered Somers in a statement to People.

“My heart goes out to Suzanne’s family,” she said in part. “They are a very close family — deeply connected and caring one to the other. I can only imagine how difficult this time is for all of them. I’m sure Suzanne was greeted by angels into the loving wisdom waiting for all of us on the other side, and I hope that will assist her family’s hearts in healing as they travel through this difficult time.”

She went on to star in Step by Step, She’s the Sheriff and Serial Mom, among others.

Somers’ Step by Step co-star Patrick Duffy remembered his late TV wife in a statement to People, saying he was “stunned” by the “unbelievable” news.

“She beautifully passed through my life on this leg of her endless journey. My task now is to remain on the roadside as she continues on,” he said in part, sharing he’ll miss “the phone calls, the emails, the visits and the meals and laughter.”

He added, “But the dialogue of deep and thoughtful, and silly and frivolous continues. My conversations with her now will be held solely through my daily Buddhist practice.”

In 2012, Lifetime launched talk show The Suzanne Show, for which Somers received an Emmy nom for best host.

“Sad so sad,” Goldie Hawn commented on Instagram.

“I am shocked and saddened,” Kathy Griffin wrote in a Threads post. “Suzanne was a real pal and ‘connector’. She loved connecting people with one another. Also a real pioneer regarding equal pay for actresses in situation comedies where the man got substantially more salary than the woman. ??”

Below, see what some of her other famous fans and friends are saying about her life and legacy as the tributes pour in on social media.

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