Suzanne Somers was a superstar on the small screen, but at home she was just another loving mother.
The “Three’s Company” star’s son, Bruce Somers Jr., was by her side until the very end when she died in October 2023 after a decades-long battle with cancer.
“Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of Oct. 15. She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years,” her longtime publicist, R. Couri Hay, told Pvnew.
“Suzanne was surrounded by her loving husband, Alan [Hamel], her son, Bruce, and her immediate family.”
Suzanne died just one day before her 77th birthday.
Her final gift from Hamel was a “handwritten love poem wrapped in her favorite pink peonies,” a source told us.
The couple blended their families after marrying in 1977.
Suzanne had Bruce Jr. with her ex-husband, Bruce Somers, while Hamel welcomed two children, Stephen and Leslie, with his ex-wife, Marilyn Hamel.
Here’s everything you need to know the late actress’ son and stepkids.
Bruce Somers Jr.
Prior to Alan, Suzanne was married to Bruce Sr. from 1965 to 1968.
The “Step by Step” star gave birth to Bruce Jr. in November 1965 when she was just 19 years old.
Suzanne publicly celebrated her son on his birthday each year with tributes on Instagram. She said it was a “joy” to be his mom and called him “the greatest person on the entire planet.”
In 2022, she posted a throwback photo and wrote, “You are a living light and I am so proud to be your mother. Enjoy this day and I look forward to many, many more birthdays.”
In 1971, Bruce Jr. survived being hit by a car when he was 6 years old.
“Bruce had terrible nightmares and night sweats for months afterward,” Suzanne revealed in 1992. “I finally took him to a psychiatrist.”
After studying film at UCLA, Bruce Jr. went on to become an executive producer and own several businesses, including Somers & Somers Productions, according to his linkedIn profile.
Bruce Jr. is also a husband and father.
He has been married to his wife, chef and cookbook author Caroline Somers, since 1991.
They share two daughters, Camelia and Violet.
Stephen Hamel and Leslie Hamel
After marrying Alan, Suzanne became a stepmom to his kids, Stephen and Leslie.
Stephen is a movie producer best known his work on 2016’s “Passengers” and 2018’s “Replicas,” according to his IMDb, while Leslie is a costume designer who has worked with Madonna, Barry Manilow, Suzanne and more, per her website.
In 2015, the Thighmaster spokeswoman admitted that combining her and Alan’s families after tying the knot wasn’t easy. In fact, having a teenage Stephen and Leslie at home nearly broke apart her second marriage.
“We battled for years before we became united,” she told Closer. “The [kids’] unwillingness to accept a new parent put a strain on everyone. Stepmothers have a much more challenging time than stepfathers because biological mothers often make the children aware they cannot have ‘another mother.’
“At the time, speaking about divorce was a new phenomenon. Blending families was even newer. No one had any rules. No one wants a new mother — everyone wants their own mother.”
Time — and a little therapy — helped everyone, according to Suzanne. In the years before her death, she was able to enjoy spending time with her blended family, which included six grandchildren.
