Suzanne Somers' 6 Most Troubled and Shocking Scandals: From 'Thighgate' to Her 1970 Arrest
For decades, Suzanne Somers did not only deal with her health battles but also with different issues in life.
Oct. 18 2023, Published 6:45 p.m. ET
Suzanne Somers' $250 Rent Check Bounced
Neighbors of the late actress are reportedly how a memorial museum would impact traffic and home values.
RadarOnline.com recently revealed the secrets surrounding Suzanne Somers before her death. Among her problematic past issues included the $250 bounced check she paid to her landlord for the home she was renting in Lake Tahoe.
Somers, who was 24 at that time, was struggling to make ends meet despite her work as a model.
According to her landlord, Bert Jakobson, the Step by Step actress never responded to his written requests for the money after the 1969 failed payment, so he reported it to the local sheriff's department.
In March 1970, Somers was arrested and booked on $1,250 bail in San Franciso. Her then-boyfriend paid it and the money she owed her landlord.
Her 'Three's Company' Request
Neighbors of late Suzanne Somers reportedly fear her home will be turned into a memorial museum.
Somers became a cast member of the ABC sitcom Three's Company and received $30,000 per episode.
Due to the show's popularity, she eventually requested to be paid as much as her male costars like John Ritter. At that time, the latter cast member was receiving $150,000.
However, she was fired from the series after asking the producers for a raise. She opened up about the firing in a 2020 interview, saying that she lost the job for having the audacity to demand it.
"They had designated John the star, as my star rose and started competing with John's star, it made them mad at me," Somers said. "It made them mad when I was on every magazine cover and John wasn't. We were all on the cover of Newsweek. That was a fiasco that day. The producers didn't tell any of us that Newsweek wanted to feature just Chrissy, and nobody told me either."
She Suffered From a Problematic Childhood
Somers died on October 15, one day before her 77th birthday.
RadarOnline.com's report also looked back at Somers' heartbreaking childhood with her alcoholic and abusive father.
In her book Two's Company: A Fifty-Year Romance With Lessons Learned in Love, Life & Business, she looked back at the time they lost their "great" father, who eventually emerged as a frightening and abusive man.
"Laughter was replaced by long scary nights hiding from him in a locked closet, where my brother, sister, mother, and I trembled in fear, praying he wouldn't find us and hoping he'd just pass out," she continued.
Despite the struggles, she learned to have a positive outlook in life and made her father's alcoholism to become her greatest teacher.
Suzanne Somers Suffered From Trauma After a 1971 Accident
She notably competed on the 20th season of 'Dancing With the Stars.'
In 1971, her son – who was suffering from emotional problems at that time – suffered severe injuries after getting hit by a car. Somers did a test nude photo for Playboy to pay his hospital bills, though she soon filed a lawsuit due to an alleged unauthorized publication.
The mother and son underwent therapy after the expert also found out that Somers had the lowest self-esteem among the people the therapist met.
"Bruce had terrible nightmares and night sweats for months afterward," she said. "I finally took him to a psychiatrist in Marin County."
Her experience led her to write her book Keeping Secrets, which also helped her forgive herself and her father.
Suzanne Somers Almost Got Raped
In a 2017 interview with People, Somers looked back at one of the most terrifying nights she had in her life when she thought she was going to be raped in Mexico in the 1970s.
The Candid Camera co-host recalled the remote photo shoot when she saw a man who offered her weed near the area. The intoxicated guy then attempted to kiss her.
"He fell all over me, and I ran into the house," she added. "I was alone with this creepy guy and I thought, 'There's no one here who cares about me, if I run to the ocean what's going to happen to me down there?' I hid in the house and he's going 'Suzanne.' It's like a horror movie, 'Suzanne.'"
Three crew members for the shoot returned, prompting the man – who was working as a waiter – to leave her.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
The Liposuction Scandal
Somers died after a courageous 23 year battle with breast cancer.
National Enquirer shared a 2001 story featuring photos of Somers leaving a liposuction clinic. The incident, dubbed "Thighgate," reportedly included suctioning her inner and outer thighs, upper back behind her armpits, hips and abdomen.
She told CNN host Larry King that she underwent the procedure to deal with the effects of her breast cancer treatment. She was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer a year prior.
"The whole reason that I went in there is because of … I was affected by the radiation and what happened to me on the medication, and having cancer," Somers disclosed. "Cancer throws everything off when you're in treatment."
