Three's Company star Suzanne Somers dies aged 76

Suzanne Somers, the effervescent blonde actor known for playing Chrissy Snow on the television show Three's Company as well as her business endeavours, has died. She was 76.

Her publicist, R. Couri Hay, released a statement confirming the actor's death.

"Her family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on October 16th," the statement read. "Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly."

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

She was first diagnosed in 2000, and also had skin cancer. She faced some backlash for her reliance on what she's 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 The Oprah Winfrey Show, which drew criticism from the American Cancer Society.

Born October 16, 1946 in San Bruno, California, Somers made her big screen debut as an uncredited extra in the action drama Bullitt in 1968.

Following four additional uncredited roles (including as the blonde in the T-Bird in American Graffiti in 1973), Somers segued to television in guest spots in series like comedies Lotsa Luck! and the original One Day At A Time, dramas The Rockford Files, Starsky and Hutch and The Love Boat. But it was Three's Company, the then controversial comedy about a single man (John Ritter) who moves in with two single women (Somers and Joyce DeWitt), that put her on the forefront.

Somers pursued avenues outside of sitcoms, including a Las Vegas act, writing books, hosting a talk show and becoming an entrepreneur. In the 1990s, she also became the spokesperson for the Thighmaster.

Somers returned to network television in the 1990s, most famously on Step by Step, which aired on ABC US. The network also aired a biopic of her life, starring her, called Keeping Secrets.