00:00 I was grateful that I was with her when she left us.
00:05 Suzanne Somers' husband, Alan Hamill,
00:08 opens up about the late star's final moments.
00:11 The 87-year-old appears on the Today Show on October 17th,
00:15 days after Suzanne died at her home
00:18 after a long battle with breast cancer.
00:21 In the interview, Alan says the beloved actress
00:24 was surrounded by family at the time of her death.
00:28 I was grateful that I was with her when she left us,
00:33 and it was very peaceful, and it was beautiful,
00:38 and she was beautiful, and we had the whole family come,
00:43 and they've been here ever since.
00:47 Alan and Suzanne were together for 55 years,
00:51 were business partners, and shared a blended family,
00:54 including her son, Bruce,
00:56 and his two children, Stefan and Leslie.
00:59 And being a mom, as Alan notes,
01:02 was one of Suzanne's greatest accomplishments.
01:05 She was an amazing, amazing woman.
01:09 Aside from all her accomplishments,
01:11 she was an amazing wife and an amazing mother as well.
01:17 She's the one who pulled our family together.
01:19 I didn't do it, she did it.
01:22 The Three's Company star's publicist
01:24 confirmed her death in a statement to E! News
01:27 on behalf of her family, writing,
01:29 "Suzanne Summers passed away peacefully at home
01:32 "in the early morning hours of October 15th.
01:35 "She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer
01:38 "for over 23 years," adding,
01:40 "Her family was gathered to celebrate
01:43 "her 77th birthday on October 16th.
01:46 "Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life
01:49 "and want to thank her millions of fans
01:51 "and followers who loved her dearly."
01:54 The news comes less than three months
01:55 after the actress had revealed
01:57 that her breast cancer had returned
01:59 after she was first diagnosed with the illness in her 50s.
02:03 She told Entertainment Tonight at the time,
02:05 "I have been living with cancer for decades now,
02:08 "using the best of alternative and conventional medicine
02:12 "to keep it at bay."
02:14 In addition to acting credits on sitcoms
02:16 like Three's Company and Step by Step,
02:18 Suzanne was also a successful businesswoman.
02:22 She and her husband reportedly earned
02:23 around $300 million from sales
02:26 of her exercise device, the Thighmaster.
02:28 Her publicist previously noted
02:30 that a private family burial will take place this week
02:34 with a memorial to follow next month.
02:37 (upbeat music)
02:43 (upbeat music)
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