Suzanne Somers‘ on-screen husband, and Step by Step co-star, Patrick Duffy, is honoring her memory.
In a statement to ET, Duffy reflected on his friendship with Somers — who died on Sunday at the age of 76.
“I lost another friend Sunday,” the statement began. “She became my dear friend on the first day we met and it never faltered to this moment. I will continue to converse with her but simple in a different way. But with the love and gratitude for her being. I know too well the feelings felt by all who loved her and most deeply by her family. To them I send my love and strength.”
Duffy, and Somers played Frank and Carol Lambert, on the ABC series that centered around the pair blending their families, after finding love. Step by Step aired from 1991 to 1998.
Somers’ death was confirmed to ET over the weekend in a statement from her publicist. The actress died at 5 a.m., one day before her 77th birthday, “surrounded by her loving husband Alan, her son Bruce, and her immediate family.”
On Monday, ET’s Kevin Frazier spoke to Somers’ husband, Alan Hamel and her son, Bruce Somers who touched on her lasting impact.
“I think yesterday we were in a bubble, and it was it was special to all be together,” Bruce shared. “Today, the overwhelming outpouring of love from everyone is heartfelt, but it’s a whole additional wave of emotion as well.”
He continued, “Yesterday, she was just mom, and today she’s back to being Suzanne Somers in everyone’s eyes. And I appreciate that,. And I appreciate everything that she’s done. She has touched so many people.”
Hamel admitted that he knew this moment would come, but he never expected that he would be the one that would have to live without his other half.
“We thought it would be me [first] because I’m 10 years older than Suzanne. And then I thought, ‘What a conundrum! If it’s me first, then she’s alone. I don’t want her to be alone,'” he said. “Over the past 42 years we have not spent even one hour apart. And my son, Bruce, refers to it as ‘functionally co-dependent,’ which I guess it was.”
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