The official cause of Suzanne Somers’ death has been revealed, less than two weeks after her death at her Palm Springs residence at the age of 76. Somers died from breast cancer that had spread to her brain, as mentioned in her death certificate obtained by The Blast. The cause was confirmed through a biopsy, and no autopsy was conducted.
This was recorded as the immediate cause of Somers’ death, with additional contributing factors being hypertension (high blood pressure) and hydrocephalus — a neurological disorder of the brain that involves a buildup of fluid. Her time of death was recorded at 5:30 a.m. on October 15, just one day before her 77th birthday.
Cancer Spread to Her Brain
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Somers was subsequently laid to rest at Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City three days later. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in her 50s, following her previous struggles with skin cancer in her 30s and “severe hyperplasia” in her uterus.
Somers’ longtime publicist confirmed that the TV icon was in the company of her family at her California home when she passed away.
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Suzanne Somers’ battle with cancer wasn’t her first encounter with the disease. She disclosed in July that she had been intermittently dealing with cancer since before her breakthrough role as Chrissy Snow on the popular show in 1977.
“Even when I was Chrissy on ‘Three’s Company,’ I had had cancer three times,” Somers told CBS News in 2020.
Somers had recently sought treatment for her breast cancer in the Midwest, but unfortunately, it was not successful, and she had returned to California.
Now at peace, she is survived by her husband, Alan Hamel, aged 87, her 57-year-old son Bruce, and two adult children, along with six grandchildren. Her publicist confirmed that they were all present with her before her birthday.
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“She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years,” said her longtime publicist, R. Couri Hay, adding that Somers was surrounded by her husband, Alan Hamel, her son, Bruce Somers Jr., 57, and immediate family.
“Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of October 15th. Suzanne was surrounded by her loving husband Alan, her son Bruce, and her immediate family. Her family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday.
“Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly.”
Rest in Peace
Hamel told Page Six that Somers died holding his hand. “One of the things we talked about was that we knew that this day was coming,” he said.
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The publicist confirmed that a private family burial was scheduled for the week following her death. A memorial for the iconic actress is also planned for next month.
Born in 1946 in San Bruno, California, Suzanne Somers was the daughter of a gardener father and a medical secretary mother. Her acting career took off in the late 1960s, notably appearing in George Lucas’s 1973 film ‘American Graffiti,’ where she played a role with a single line, mouthing ‘I love you’ to Richard Dreyfuss’s character while driving a white Thunderbird.
Somers even staged a one-woman Broadway show titled ‘The Blonde in the Thunderbird’ inspired by her role. Although the show received mostly negative reviews, it was a significant part of her journey.
During the 1970s, she made appearances in various television shows like ‘The Rockford Files,’ ‘Magnum Force,’ and ‘The Six Million Dollar Man.’ However, she rose to tremendous fame with her role in ‘Three’s Company,’ which aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984, though her involvement concluded in 1981.
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In ‘Three’s Company,’ she played the ditzy blonde character alongside John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt in a roommate comedy, depicting a living situation with a woman and a man posing as gay. Her performance not only showcased her acting abilities but also established her as a prominent sex symbol, a status she acquired over the five years on the show.
In 1980, after four seasons, she sought a substantial pay increase from $30,000 per episode to $150,000 per episode, aiming for parity with Ritter’s salary.
Somers was ultimately dismissed from the show in 1981 due to a contract dispute with the producers. Her character was subsequently replaced by two different roommates for the remaining years the show aired. This situation also caused a rift between her and her co-stars, leading to a prolonged period of not speaking to each other.
