According to R. Couri Hay, Suzanne Somers’ longtime publicist, she passed away at the age of 76.
On the eve of her 77th birthday, Somers, the “Three’s Company” star, passed away early Sunday morning at home, surrounded by her family.
“Her family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on October 16th. Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly,” Hay said in a statement on behalf of Somers’ family.
How Somers passed away was not immediately clear. Hay stated that she “survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years.”
This week in Palm Springs, Somers will be laid to rest in a private ceremony, according to a source familiar with the situation. Next month, a memorial will be held, according to Hay.
According to the source, her family was planning on flying in to celebrate her birthday and had already planned what kind of cake and food to purchase her. However, suddenly, “everyone is shocked and facing this terrible reality that she’s gone,” the person continued.
Somers revealed on Instagram in July that her breast cancer had come back.
She told “Entertainment Tonight” at the time: “Like any cancer patient, when you get that dreaded ‘it’s back,’ you get a pit in your stomach. Then I put on my battle gear and go to war. This is familiar battleground for me, and I’m very tough.”
“She had used alternative medicines over the years to fight the cancer but this time around she was under the care of a traditional doctor and was undergoing treatment,” the source familiar said.
She also suffered skin cancer, which was discovered in 2000. She came under fire for relying on what she called an organic, chemical-free lifestyle to fight the tumors.
In the 1970s, Somers had appearances on a number of television programs, such as “The Rockford Files” and “The Six Million Dollar Man,” but her most well-known role was with “Three’s Company,” which was shown on ABC from 1977 to 1984. She additionally portrayed the mother in the enduring children’s sitcom “Step by Step.”
