Suzanne Somers, the effervescent blonde actor known for playing Chrissy Snow on the television show 害羞草研究所淭hree害羞草研究所檚 Company害羞草研究所� and who became an entrepreneur and New York Times best-selling author, has died. She was 76.

Somers had breast cancer for over 23 years and died Sunday morning, her family said in a statement provided by her longtime publicist, R. Couri Hay. Her husband Alan Hamel, her son Bruce and other immediate family were with her in Palm Springs, California.

害羞草研究所淗er family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on October 16th,害羞草研究所� the statement read. 害羞草研究所淚nstead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly.害羞草研究所�

In July, Somers shared on Instagram that her breast cancer had returned.

害羞草研究所淟ike any cancer patient, when you get that dreaded, 害羞草研究所業t害羞草研究所檚 back害羞草研究所� you get a pit in your stomach. Then I put on my battle gear and go to war,害羞草研究所� she told Entertainment Tonight at the time. 害羞草研究所淭his is familiar battleground for me and I害羞草研究所檓 very tough.害羞草研究所�

She was first diagnosed in 2000, and had previously battled skin cancer. Sommers faced some backlash for her reliance on what she害羞草研究所檚 described as a chemical-free and organic lifestyle to combat the cancers. She argued against the use of chemotherapy, in books and on platforms like 害羞草研究所淭he Oprah Winfrey Show,害羞草研究所� which drew criticism from the American Cancer Society.

Somers was born in 1946 in San Bruno, California, to a gardener father and a medical secretary mother. Her childhood, she害羞草研究所檇 later say, was tumultuous. Her father was an alcoholic, and abusive. She married young, at 19, to Bruce Somers, after becoming pregnant with her son Bruce. The couple divorced three years later and she began modeling for 害羞草研究所淭he Anniversary Game害羞草研究所� to support herself. It was during this time that she met Hamel, who she married in 1977.

She began acting in the late 1960s, earning her first credit in the Steve McQueen film 害羞草研究所淏ullitt.害羞草研究所� But the spotlight really hit when she was cast as the blonde driving the white Thunderbird in George Lucas害羞草研究所檚 1973 film 害羞草研究所淎merican Graffiti.害羞草研究所� Her only line was mouthing the words 害羞草研究所淚 love you害羞草研究所� to Richard Dreyfuss害羞草研究所檚 character.

At her audition, Lucas just asked her if she could drive. She later said that moment 害羞草研究所渃hanged her life forever.害羞草研究所�

Somers would later stage a one-woman Broadway show entitled 害羞草研究所淭he Blonde in the Thunderbird,害羞草研究所� about her life, which drew largely scathing reviews.

She appeared in many television shows in the 1970s, including 害羞草研究所淭he Rockford Files,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淢agnum Force害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淭he Six Million Dollar Man,害羞草研究所� but her most famous part came with 害羞草研究所淭hree害羞草研究所檚 Company,害羞草研究所� which aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984 害羞草研究所� though her participation ended in 1981.

On 害羞草研究所淭hree害羞草研究所檚 Company,害羞草研究所� she was the ditzy blonde opposite John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt in the roommate comedy. In 1980, after four seasons, she asked for a raise from $30,000 an episode to $150,000 an episode, which would have been comparable to what Ritter was getting paid. Hamel, a former television producer, had encouraged the ask.

害羞草研究所淭he show害羞草研究所檚 response was, 害羞草研究所榃ho do you think you are?害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 Somers told People in 2020. 害羞草研究所淭hey said, 害羞草研究所楯ohn Ritter is the star.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

She was promptly phased out and soon fired; Her character was replaced by two different roommates for the remaining years the show aired. It also led to a rift with her co-stars; They didn害羞草研究所檛 speak for many years. Somers did reconcile with Ritter before his death, and then with DeWitt on her online talk show.

But Somers took the break as an opportunity to pursue new avenues, including a Las Vegas act, hosting a talk show and becoming an entrepreneur. In the 1990s, she also became the spokesperson for the 害羞草研究所淭highMaster.害羞草研究所�

The decade also saw her return to network television in the 1990s, most famously on 害羞草研究所淪tep by Step,害羞草研究所� which aired on ABC害羞草研究所檚 youth-targeted TGIF lineup. The network also aired a biopic of her life, starring her, called 害羞草研究所淜eeping Secrets.害羞草研究所�

Somers was also a prolific author, writing books on aging, menopause, beauty, wellness, sex and cancer.