Suzanne Somers, who starred in TV sitcom “Three’s Company,” has died following a long battle with breast cancer. Her family confirmed she passed away on Sunday, Oct. 15, a day before her 77th birthday.
Somers was best known as dumb blonde Chrissy Snow on Three’s Company, alongside John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt.
Three’s Company was an instant ratings hit when it premiered on ABC TV in 1977. By the fifth season, Somers demanded a salary raise from $30,000 to $150,000 an episode and a 10% cut of the show’s profits.
When ABC rejected her demands, she faked an injury and refused to show up on set for two episodes. She finished the remaining season on her contract, but ABC reduced her role to just 60 seconds per episode.
ABC fired Somers and terminated her contract in 1980. Somers sued the network for $2 million. The lawsuit was settled by an arbitrator for $30,000 for one episode.
Co-star John Ritter refused to speak to Somers for 20 years. They reconciled before he died in 2003.
In September 1991, Somers starred in the hit TV sitcom Step By Step (with Patrick Duffy). From 1997 to 1999, Somers co-hosted the revamped Candid Camera show.
Somers was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer in April 2000. After undergoing a lumpectomy and radiation, she campaigned for cancer research.
In 2008, Somers claimed she was “misdiagnosed” by her doctors and she promoted alternative cancer treatments in her new book, Knockout.
The alternative treatments in her book caused concern for the American Cancer Society.
“I am very afraid that people are going to listen to her message and follow what she says and be harmed by it”, said Dr. Otis Brawley, the ACS’s chief medical officer. “We use current treatments because they’ve been proven to prolong life.”
