Beloved actress Suzanne Somers died earlier this week at the age of 76. After a long and hard fight, the lovely actress succumbed to breast cancer on October 15, 2023, one day before her 77th birthday.
Despite beginning her career and often being known for her role in the Emmy award-winning comedy Three’s Company, Suzanne Somers was anything but the ditsy blonde she played as Chrissy Snow. In addition to her success as an actress, Somers was an accredited author, talented singer, and intelligent businesswoman.
Her love for fitness and healthy habits are arguably what made her a multi-millionaire, the ThighMaster being the most lucrative of her business endeavors. The piece of equipment was originally designed in Sweden for physical therapy of the hip adductors. However, Somers and her husband, Alan Hamel, invested in it after it was introduced to America in the early 1990s. Somers quickly became the spokesmodel and made it trendy for women all over the country.
As the early 90s would have it, the ThighMaster was mainly purchased through infomercials. Eventually, the married couple took over the company and continued to sell millions throughout the thirty years it’s been on the market. It is still available for purchase to this day.
After the collaboration with ThighMaster, Somers continued her fitness and health business career through weight loss programs like “Somersizing” focused on creating whole and healthy meals rather than obsessing over calorie intake.
Somers went on to write seventeen books, including a number-one New York Times Bestseller Ageless and fan favorites A New Way to Age and I’m Too Young for This. Her books discussed ways to lose weight through hormone solutions, supplements, and recipes for healthy eating and drinking.
Somers was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000 and underwent treatment for one year before telling the public in 2001 on Larry King Live. According to Somers in the interview, her doctor found the cancer after a routine mammogram, reminding everyone how important it is to keep up with regular appointments. After twenty-three years of fighting the aggressive cancer, Somers passed away peacefully in her sleep.
“It’s not who you are. It’s not what you have. It’s not what you do. It’s only about who you love and who loves you… and I love you.” – Suzanne Somers
