Honestly, if you close your eyes and think of Suzanne Somers, you probably see one of two things: a pair of high-waisted 80s gym shorts or that bubbly, slightly dazed smile of Chrissy Snow. Maybe you hear the rhythmic clack-clack of a ThighMaster.
But the reality of who she was—and how she basically invented the modern celebrity "pivot"—is way more intense than a late-night infomercial.
Suzanne Somers wasn't just a sitcom star who got lucky with a piece of plastic. She was a woman who got kicked out of Hollywood's "Cool Kids Club" and decided to build her own club, with tequila and better health advice. When she died on October 15, 2023, just one day shy of her 77th birthday, she left behind a $300 million empire. Not bad for someone the industry tried to blacklist into oblivion back in 1981.
The Three’s Company Disaster That Changed Everything
Most people remember Suzanne leaving Three’s Company because she was "difficult." That’s the narrative ABC pushed at the time. The truth? She asked to be paid what her male co-star, John Ritter, was making.
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In 1980, Suzanne was arguably the biggest star on the planet. She was on every magazine cover. She was the reason people tuned in. At the time, she was making $30,000 an episode. Ritter was making $150,000. When she asked for parity—and a small slice of the profits—the network didn't just say no. They made an example of her.
It was brutal.
They didn't fire her immediately. Instead, they relegated her to one-minute "phone call" scenes filmed on a separate, tiny set. She wasn't allowed to see her castmates. Security guards escorted her to and from the back door. It was psychological warfare. Eventually, they let her go, and for years, she couldn't get a job in television.
She was 34 years old and effectively "done" in Hollywood. Or so they thought.
Why Suzanne Somers Still Matters to Business Owners
What do you do when you’re the most famous unemployed person in America? If you’re Suzanne, you go to Las Vegas. While Hollywood was busy whispering about her "ego," she was headlining at the MGM Grand and being named Las Vegas Female Entertainer of the Year.
But the real magic happened in the early 90s.
She didn't invent the ThighMaster. It was originally called the "V-Toner" and marketed for upper body workouts. Suzanne looked at it and basically said, "No, women want great legs." She renamed it, branded it, and sold 10 million units almost immediately.
The Genius of the "Squeeze"
- Timing: She hit the infomercial wave just as cable TV was exploding.
- Vulnerability: She talked about her childhood with an alcoholic father, making her relatable, not just a "blonde bombshell."
- Ownership: Unlike other stars who took a flat fee for endorsements, she and her husband, Alan Hamel, owned the products.
She was an "influencer" before that word meant anything. She realized that if the gatekeepers wouldn't let her in, she’d just sell directly to the people in their living rooms.
The Bioidentical Hormone Controversy
You can’t talk about Suzanne Somers without talking about the 60 pills a day and the vaginal injections. She became a lightning rod for the medical community. After her breast cancer diagnosis in 2000, she began advocating for alternative treatments and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT).
Doctors like Dr. Jen Gunter have been incredibly vocal about the dangers of the advice Suzanne gave. Critics argue she used her massive platform to promote "woo-woo" science that wasn't backed by clinical trials.
On the flip side, many women felt Suzanne was the only one actually listening to them. She talked about menopause when it was still a "hush-hush" topic. She pushed for "toxic-free" living long before Goop was a glimmer in Gwyneth Paltrow's eye. Whether she was right or wrong scientifically, she shifted the conversation about women’s aging from "deal with it" to "take control of it."
What Really Happened at the End
The end of her life was a testament to the "battle gear" she often talked about. Her breast cancer returned in 2023, but she had been fighting various health battles for decades.
Her husband, Alan, was with her until the very last second. He even gave her a birthday gift a day early—a handwritten poem—because they knew time was up. She was buried in a pair of Timberland hiking boots that Alan had decorated with drawings and love notes. It’s a small, weird, beautiful detail that feels much more "Suzanne" than a red-carpet gown.
Practical Lessons from the Somers Playbook
If you’re looking to apply some of that Suzanne energy to your own life, start here:
- Know your numbers. She lost her job because she knew what her co-stars made. Even if it hurts in the short term, knowing your value is the only way to get it.
- Diversify your "you." Suzanne was an actress, but also an author of 25+ books, a poet, and a supplement mogul. If one door closes, you need three others already cracked open.
- Embrace the pivot. When Hollywood called her "trouble," she rebranded "trouble" into "independent businesswoman."
Suzanne Somers proved that you don't need a network's permission to be successful. You just need a good product, a thick skin, and maybe a piece of spring-loaded blue plastic.
To truly understand her impact, look at the shelves of any Target or Sephora today. The "wellness" industry is a multi-billion dollar behemoth, and most of the celebrities launching "clean" skincare lines are just following the map Suzanne Somers drew forty years ago while everyone else was busy laughing at her.
Audit your own career value today. Research the market rate for your role and compare it to your current compensation. If there is a gap, prepare a data-backed proposal for parity, just as Suzanne did, but ensure you have a "Side B" plan—like her Vegas residency—ready to go if the answer is no. This creates leverage and protects your future, regardless of one employer's decision.