Suzanne Somers Dies at 76 After Long Cancer Battle, Leaving Behind a Remarkable Television Legacy

A beloved television actress has died after a long battle with breast cancer, passing away on October 15, just one day before what would have been her seventy-seventh birthday.

She became widely recognized for playing Chrissy Snow on Three’s Company, the popular ABC sitcom that premiered in 1977. Working alongside John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt, she quickly became one of the show’s most recognizable stars.

The series became an immediate ratings success, but Somers eventually found herself at the center of a major contract dispute. By the fifth season, she reportedly sought a dramatic salary increase, asking for $150,000 per episode along with a share of the program’s profits.

ABC rejected her demands. Somers then staged an injury and missed two episodes before completing the rest of the season under her existing contract. Her role was subsequently reduced to only about sixty seconds per episode.

In 1980, ABC fired her and ended her contract. Somers later sued the network for $2 million. The dispute was ultimately resolved through arbitration, with Somers receiving $30,000 for one episode.

The controversy also affected her relationship with John Ritter. The two reportedly stopped speaking for approximately twenty years before eventually reconciling before Ritter’s death in 2003.

Somers continued working after Three’s Company. In 1991, she joined the sitcom Step By Step with Patrick Duffy, another successful television role that introduced her to a new generation of viewers.

From 1997 through 1999, she also co-hosted the revived version of Candid Camera, demonstrating her ability to remain visible on television beyond her best-known sitcom character.

Her personal life later became closely connected with her battle against cancer. In April 2000, Somers was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer. She underwent a lumpectomy and radiation treatment and subsequently became involved in efforts supporting cancer research.

Years later, Somers said she believed she had been misdiagnosed and promoted alternative approaches to cancer treatment in her 2008 book, Knockout. Her views generated criticism and concern among medical professionals.

The American Cancer Society publicly expressed concern that readers might follow unproven recommendations instead of treatments supported by clinical evidence. Its chief medical officer at the time warned that established cancer treatments were used because research had demonstrated their ability to extend lives.

Despite the controversies surrounding parts of her later career, Somers remained a recognizable entertainment figure for decades. Her work extended beyond acting into television hosting, writing, business ventures, and health advocacy.

For longtime viewers, however, she remained especially associated with the cheerful character who helped make Three’s Company a defining sitcom of its era.

After decades in the spotlight, Suzanne Somers leaves behind a legacy that spans several generations of television audiences.