Suzanne Somers dies the day before her 77th birthday

[Ali Gator]

Actress Suzanne Somers lost her courageous 23 year battle with an aggressive form of breast cancer today, one day before her 77th birthday. Her publicist announced this afternoon that she was surrounded by her husband Alan, her son Bruce, and her immediate family (who had gathered this weekend to celebrate her 77th birthday on Monday)  when she died in her sleep early Sunday morning, next to her husband of 46 years.

 

Her husband told friends he gave her an 'early birthday present' on Saturday - a handwritten poem to celebrate her, wrapped in peonies.  In July, she announced her cancer had come back, after getting the 'all clear' from her doctors in June.  She went out of state to seek treamtment, but was sent home a few weeks ago when she was told 'there was nothing else' that could be done for her. There will be a private funeral for her this week at her home, with a public memorial planned for a future date. 

 

Edited October 16, 2023 by Ali Gator

[Guest]

😕 when I lived in Palm Springs I saw her multiple times at various restaurants. Once I saw her with Barry Manilow. 

[marylander1940]

 

 

 

[Ali Gator]

56 minutes ago, Vin_Marco said:

😕 when I lived in Palm Springs I saw her multiple times at various restaurants. Once I saw her with Barry Manilow. 

She was best friends with Manilow, for many years, as she met him in Vegas when she was doing her one-woman show after 'Three's Company' fired her in the early 80s. As a matter of fact, it was said she had help from him on some of the music and material for her ill-fated one-woman 2005 Broadway musical , "Blond in the Thunderbird". When the show closed abruptly after nine performances, she told an interviewer, "I put my show out there with the cleanest of hearts and the best of intentions and getting reviews like that hurt. Barry Manilow said Broadway would break my heart, and it has."

After reading the script, maybe this was Manilow's comforting way of saying: "You're not ready for Broadway !' ?  😄

[ICTJOCK]

I hear this during dinner.    How very sad.   She was a great talent and very helpful sharing her fight against cancer.     She will be missed.    Thoughts & prayers to her family.

[Ali Gator]

It's been reported that since her diagnosis 23 years ago, she has written 27 NYT 'best sellers' on healthy living - on medical alternatives, healthy foods, exercise, etc. She stayed away from 'traditional treatment' for her cancer, and followed a holisitc approach (similar to ONJ, who lived for 30 years before succumbing to breast cancer). Both women certainly beat the odds on this horrible illness ! 

[+ azdr0710]

1 hour ago, Ali Gator said:

It's been reported that since her diagnosis 23 years ago, she has written 27 NYT 'best sellers' on healthy living - on medical alternatives, healthy foods, exercise, etc. She stayed away from 'traditional treatment' for her cancer, and followed a holisitc approach (similar to ONJ, who lived for 30 years before succumbing to breast cancer). Both women certainly beat the odds on this horrible illness ! 

had to look that up!......ONJ = Olivia Newton-John........

[Luv2play]

Reading her obit today, I was struck by her stand against the television studio when she starred on Three’s  Company over her dispute about her salary. She was being paid $30,000 per episode versus John Ritter’s $150,000. She wanted parity and instead the studio wrote her out of the sitcom. She didn’t let it defeat her and instead went on to other successful roles in television.
I would think other female stars have since benefitted from her stand although I don’t know if that is the case. I imagine there is still a lot of misogyny in Hollywood.

[+ purplekow]

No mention of the thigh master?   

By the way, that theme song made me think that the show was initially called the "Second Time Around" rather than "Step by Step".    As far a TV theme songs go, this one was not very good.  It was certainly no "F Troop" or "Three's Company". 

[+ Charlie]

13 hours ago, azdr0710 said:

had to look that up!......ONJ = Olivia Newton-John........

And you call yourself gay?!! Even an old fogey like me picked that up instantly.

[+ azdr0710]

 

[Ali Gator]

7 hours ago, Luv2play said:

Reading her obit today, I was struck by her stand against the television studio when she starred on Three’s  Company over her dispute about her salary. She was being paid $30,000 per episode versus John Ritter’s $150,000. She wanted parity and instead the studio wrote her out of the sitcom. She didn’t let it defeat her and instead went on to other successful roles in television.
I would think other female stars have since benefitted from her stand although I don’t know if that is the case. I imagine there is still a lot of misogyny in Hollywood.

When she boycotted the show over that salary dispute, everyone - and I mean everyone - ripped her to shreds back then. They asked how she could possibly think she deserved that amount of money, and accused her of being greedy. Everyone sided with ABC for firing her and not giving in to her demands.  Somers had said she dealt with severe depression back then, as everyone turned on her.  It wasn't until years later (and now in her obits) that people recognize her for being a pioneer as a leader for equal pay for women. She didn't back down, and she stood her grounds. She reinvented herself, and became a successful business woman - starting with the ThighMaster. 

 

A few seasons later, in 1985, Joan Collins pulled the same stunt as Somers did when Collins wanted to renegotiate her contract for 'Dynasty'.  Collins didn't want what John Forsythe was making (which was much more than her salary), she wanted what Larry Hagman was making over at CBS!  She argued that she turned 'Dynasty' around and saved it from cancellation, and then sat out a few episodes when the new season started filming. Eventually she got Hagman's salary. I guess ABC didn't want to lose a big star once again. 

[Ali Gator]

In the Spring of 2021, Somers did some nude photos taken in her 'wheat fields' on her estate, and shared them to InstaGram (though not everything was visible). Her husband was the photographer.  It was so well received on social media and in the press, she approached Playboy and told them she wanted to do a full nude layout for the October issue, to celebrate her body at 75 years old, as she was never more proud of her body. She wanted celebrity photographer Annie Liebovitz to do the shoot (she had worked with her in the past) and offered to split the cost of the photographer. Playboy (which considered her for a model in 1970) passed on her idea. 

[Luv2play]

In every generation since Hollywood was founded there have been women actors who did not accept the restrictions placed on them by a male dominated hierarchy. 

I can think of stars like Mary Pickford who established her own studio, Mae West who insisted on writing her own scripts and getting equal billing with her male co-stars,  Bette Davis who took Warner Bros. to court, lost but won in the end, and others who trailblazed for their fellow female actors.

It appears Suzanne Somers was amongst them and good for her.

Edited October 16, 2023 by Luv2play

[Ali Gator]

Joyce DeWitt is remembering Suzanne Somers after her death. DeWitt, who is best known for her role as Janet Wood on Three’s Company, shared a statement with PEOPLE on her hopes for Somers’ family.  

“My heart goes out to Suzanne’s family,” DeWitt, 74, said. “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.”

She also reflected on Somers’ death, writing, “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.”

Somers and DeWitt's costar Richard Kline — who played Larry Dallas for 110 episodes on Three's Company — also shared a statement with PEOPLE: "Suzanne was a joy to work with. She totally owned and created the character of Chrissy. My condolences to Alan and her family."

 

Joyce DeWitt Sends Love to Suzanne Somers' Family After Her Death: 'My Heart Goes Out' (Exclusive)

PEOPLE.COM

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Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers costarred on 'Three's Company' for four seasons

 

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

11 hours ago, purplekow said:

No mention of the thigh master?   

ThighMaster is one glorious, trademarked, copyrighted word.  How dare you not know that.

It's probably also the name of a findom/muscle worship escort in Southern California.

Edited October 17, 2023 by BenjaminNicholas

[BuffaloKyle]

5 hours ago, Ali Gator said:

When she boycotted the show over that salary dispute, everyone - and I mean everyone - ripped her to shreds back then. They asked how she could possibly think she deserved that amount of money, and accused her of being greedy. Everyone sided with ABC for firing her and not giving in to her demands.  Somers had said she dealt with severe depression back then, as everyone turned on her.  It wasn't until years later (and now in her obits) that people recognize her for being a pioneer as a leader for equal pay for women. She didn't back down, and she stood her grounds. She reinvented herself, and became a successful business woman - starting with the ThighMaster. 

Her & Joyce Dewitt didn't talk for 30 years after she left Three's Company as well then. Not until they reunited on a show Suzanne did:

 

[Ali Gator]

In retrospect, DeWitt should have joined her on the boycott 40 years ago, and demanded equal pay to Ritter. There were three stars on that show - not just Ritter. 

 

Some trivia: Somers died one day before her birthday. Ritter died six days before his. Kind of eerie they died within a week of their own birthdays. 

[+ Charlie]

7 hours ago, Ali Gator said:

In retrospect, DeWitt should have joined her on the boycott 40 years ago, and demanded equal pay to Ritter. There were three stars on that show - not just Ritter. 

 

Some trivia: Somers died one day before her birthday. Ritter died six days before his. Kind of eerie they died within a week of their own birthdays. 

I read obituaries every day, and you would be surprised how many people die on or close to their birthdays. (All four of my grandparents died shortly before or after their birthdays.)

[+ nycman]

15 hours ago, Charlie said:

you would be surprised how many people die on or close to their birthdays.

Not really.

I’d say 3.85% die within one week of their birthday.

Why?

Because I can do M-A-T-H.

grin

Edited October 19, 2023 by nycman
Because "within on week of their birth"….sounded like mass infanticide.

[Ali Gator]

On 10/18/2023 at 4:00 PM, Charlie said:

I read obituaries every day, and you would be surprised how many people die on or close to their birthdays. (All four of my grandparents died shortly before or after their birthdays.)

I agree. I find it very common for people to die within a month or less of their birthday. My mother died just three weeks before her 64th birthday (unexpectedly, from pneumonia) while an aunt of mine died from COVID within a week after her 83rd, when COVID first hit in March, 2020. I remember my uncle passing from cancer just five days before his 60 th in 1989. 

It's really not surprising to me at all anymore. It's more and more common.  Months in between is one thing - but weeks or days is really shocking to me. 

[CuriousByNature]

What always amazes me is the number of people born on their birthday.  Nearly 100%  I think.  But then again, I also moved to a new city after I read that most car accidents happen within 10 blocks of home.