Joyce DeWitt's Sweet Tribute To Suzanne Somers Proves Their Feud Is Water Under The Bridge
TV legend Suzanne Somers died at 76 on October 15, 2023, passing away several years after making peace with her original "Three's Company" costars. Both John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt had fallen out with Somers in the early '80s over her demand for better payment for her work on the sitcom. Somers and Ritter reconciled before his death in 2003, and any drama from the past was squashed when DeWitt appeared on Somers' talk show "Breaking Through" in 2012.
After Somers' death, DeWitt made a statement to People. "My heart goes out to Suzanne's family. They are a very close family — deeply connected and caring one to the other. I can only imagine how difficult this time is for all of them," she said. "I'm sure Suzanne was greeted by Angels into the loving wisdom waiting for all of us on the other side, and I hope that will assist her family's hearts in healing as they travel through this difficult time."
There did not seem to be a personal beef between Somers and DeWitt, and the reason they didn't speak for 30 years was purely professional. Both actors starred in the sitcom alongside John Ritter, and Somers was fired from the show when she asked to be paid as much as male actors. (Although Somers did not know this at the time, Ritter was being paid about $120,000 more per episode than she was.) DeWitt and Ritter continued on the show after Somers was let go.
When reunited, Somers and DeWitt discussed their differences
When Suzanne Somers and Joyce DeWitt sat down on Somers' show, "Breaking Through," they spoke about their past on "Three's Company" and cleared the air. Somers explained the difference between DeWitt, Ritter, and herself. While the former two were trained actors, Somers' focus was making money to take care of her family. Somers and DeWitt shared a laugh when Somers quipped that her money-focused attitude at the time probably upset DeWitt and Ritter on set.
DeWitt then explained how she had always remembered the good things about "Three's Company." "If others had brought up to me scuttlebutt or whatever might happen, I would go, 'Listen, the only reason "Three's Company" is worth remembering is it gave us a chance to celebrate joy together, to open our hearts together, to share in such a healing, beautiful thing as laughter," she said.
During their conversation, the actors remarked how their differing perspectives on fame are another reason they drifted apart. They also lamented about dealing with men in the industry, since misogyny and the show executives' behavior is what led to Somers' firing.
"I'm really glad I got to see you again and get to know you all over again," Somers told DeWitt as they hugged. The talk show experience seemed to bond the women together after all the previous drama.