Just a day before her 77th birthday, Suzanne Somers passed away following a 50-year battle with cancer, according to Page Six.
The actress, singer, author and health spokesman died Sunday morning, Somers‘ publicist, R. Couri Hay, told the outlet.
“Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of October 15th. She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years,” said Hay. “Suzanne was surrounded by her loving husband Alan, her son Bruce, and her immediate family.”
Somers‘ family had plans to celebrate her 77th birthday Monday, according to Hay.
“Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly,” Hay said to end his statement. “A private family burial will take place this week, with a memorial to follow next month.”
Suzanne Somers dead at 76 following cancer battle https://t.co/PCnbUvW95Q pic.twitter.com/Ds5cUh9oDI
— Page Six (@PageSix) October 15, 2023
The star of “Three’s Company” died while beside her husband, Somers‘ friend told Page Six.
“She died in her new ‘all green home’ in Palm Springs in her sleep with her loving husband by her side,” the actress’ friend said.
Hamel, Somers’ husband, gave his wife — who he was married to for 46 years — an early birthday present shortly before she died, according to another Page Six source.
“[It was a] handwritten love poem wrapped in her favorite pink peonies,” the source revealed.
Somers’ death comes less than three months following Hamel telling Page Six that his wife’s breast cancer had made a comeback.
A star in “Step by Step,” Somers received a diagnosis of breast cancer for the first time while in her 50s, this after having a battle with skin cancer in her 30s, according to Hamel. In her 20s, Somers overcame “two hyperplasia.”
“I have been living with cancer since my 20s. And every time that little f*cker pops up, I continue to bat it back,” Somers said to Entertainment Tonight back in July. “I do my best not to let this insidious disease control me.” (RELATED: One Of ESPN’s Greatest Of All Time — Hockey Legend Barry Melrose — Forced To Retire After Parkinson’s Diagnosis)
“It’s a recurrence of my breast cancer. 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.”
Somers is survived by her son Bruce Jr., who she had with ex-husband, Bruce Somers.
The blonde beauty was also a step-mother to Stephen and Leslie Hamel, who are a part of Somers’ husband’s prior marriage, and she was also the grandmother to six grandchildren.