Suzanne Somers' Husband Alan Hamel Reacts to Her Oscars 'In Memoriam' Snub
Hamel says he respects the Academy's decision to leave Sommers out of their in memoriam segment.
Fans of Suzanne Somers have been upset over her being snubbed by the Oscars' "in memoriam" segment, and now her husband Alan Hamel has reacted to the situation. "I respect the Academy's decision to not include Suzanne In Memoriam," Hamel, 87, told ET. "Frankly, the outpouring from millions of her fans, was the kind of In Memoriam Suzanne would have lovingly embraced."
"She adored and respected her Fans and similarly enjoyed a beautiful relationship with the Media and Paparazzi who elevated her career to heights rarely seen," Hamel added. "She debuted on Carson in 1973 with her first of 27 books and remained active and relevant until her passing. God bless Suzanne Somers."
The Academy Awards have been trending online, according to Us Weekly, for leaving off a few people, in particular, this year: Somers, Treat Williams, and Lance Reddick, among others. The segment featured tributes to late stars such as Matthew Perry, Alan Arkin, Andre Braugher, Paul Reubens, and Tina Turner. The segment also included a performance from Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo Bocelli.
"That they didn't include Treat Williams was a travesty," one upset viewer wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). "He was a true Hollywood triple threat. RIP." Someone else added, "Please tell the American people why Suzanne Somers was not included in the Oscars memorial tonight? She was an icon and we would like to know?" A third person posted, "Oscars In Memoriam was such a mess. How do you disrespect all these people at the end by just having a wall of names that barely stays up for 10 seconds?"
Somers passed away on Sunday, Oct. 15, after revealing earlier in 2023 that she was once again fighting breast cancer. "Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of October 15th. She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years," Somers' friend and publicist R. Couri Hay said in a statement announcing the sad news. "Suzanne was surrounded by her loving husband Alan, her son Bruce, and her immediate family." Somers was a beloved TV star who appeared in a handful of movies like American Graffiti and Serial Mom.