Suzanne Somers wasn't just a sitcom legend or the face of the ThighMaster. For more than five decades, she was one half of what many consider the most "functionally co-dependent" and deeply romantic marriage in show business. If you’re asking who is Suzanne Somers married to, the answer is Alan Hamel. But honestly, just saying his name doesn't really cover it.
They weren't just a couple. They were a single unit.
Before she passed away in October 2023, Suzanne and Alan had spent 55 years together. That is almost unheard of in a town where marriages often have the shelf life of a carton of milk. They were married for 46 of those years, and here is the kicker: Suzanne once claimed they hadn't spent a single night apart in over 40 years. Think about that for a second. Most couples need a weekend away just to stay sane, but these two lived, worked, and slept side-by-side without a break.
Meeting on the Set: A Scandalous Start
Their story didn't start in a typical, "sweet" way. It was actually kinda messy. They met in 1969 on the set of The Anniversary Game. Alan was the host—a charming, successful Canadian TV personality—and Suzanne was a 23-year-old prize model.
At the time, they were both married to other people.
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Suzanne had married her first husband, Bruce Somers, when she was only 19 after getting pregnant. That marriage was struggling, and she was basically a single mom trying to make ends meet by selling home-sewn clothes and crackers. Alan, meanwhile, was 10 years her senior and married to Marilyn Shapiro.
Despite the complications, the connection was instant. Alan actually found Suzanne’s phone number on some AFTRA forms (which he technically wasn't supposed to be looking at) and called her. They had sex on their first date because, as Suzanne later joked, she wasn't sure if there would be a second one.
The Man Behind the ThighMaster
Alan Hamel eventually became much more than just a husband. When Suzanne was famously fired from Three's Company in 1980 for demanding equal pay to John Ritter, her career could have ended right there. The industry tried to blackball her.
Alan stepped in.
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He quit his own hosting career to become her manager. He was the strategist who helped her pivot from sitcom actress to Las Vegas headliner and, eventually, a lifestyle mogul. When you saw those ThighMaster commercials in the 90s, that was their joint venture. They bought out their partners early on to own the product entirely.
Basically, Alan saw her value when the networks didn't. He helped turn her into a brand that sold over 10 million units of a single piece of plastic exercise equipment.
A Love That Lasted Until the Very End
Their relationship wasn't always easy. Suzanne was very open about the fact that their first decade was "rocky." They had to blend a family—Suzanne had her son, Bruce Jr., and Alan had two children, Stephen and Leslie, from his previous marriage.
But they worked at it. They were big believers in "date nights" (which they did almost every night) and were famously open about their physical intimacy even in their 70s. Suzanne often credited bioidentical hormones for keeping their spark alive, which was a topic she wrote about extensively in her books.
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The end of their story is incredibly moving. Two days before Suzanne died of breast cancer on October 15, 2023, Alan gave her an early birthday present. It was a hand-written love poem.
In that letter, he wrote that even after 55 years, he couldn't find the right words to describe their bond. He ended up calling it "US"—uniquely, magically, and indescribably wonderful. Suzanne read the poem, went to sleep, and passed away peacefully with Alan and her family by her side.
What We Can Learn From Their Union
- Partnership matters: They proved that being "business partners" doesn't have to ruin a marriage if you’re actually on the same team.
- Prioritize the "Us": They never stopped dating each other, even after decades of living in the same house.
- Weather the storms: From cancer battles to being fired from hit shows, they faced every crisis as a duo.
If you're looking to bring a bit of that "Somers-Hamel" energy into your own life, start by looking into Suzanne’s writings on longevity and relationships. Her book Two's Company: A 50-Year Romance with Lessons Learned in Love, Life & Business is probably the best place to start if you want the "unfiltered" version of how they made it work for so long.