Alan Hamel Defends Romance With Late Wife Suzanne Somers' Co-Star: 'She Wanted That'

Alan Hamel believes his late wife, Suzanne Somers, would approve of his new romance.

Two years after the "Three's Company" actress passed away, her widower, Hamel, sparked dating rumors after he was seen getting cozy with her former co-star, Joanna Cassidy.

Now, the Canadian television personality explains why moving on with a familiar face is precisely what his late wife wanted.

Hamel broke his silence on his new relationship with actress Cassidy, explaining that Somers' dying wish inspired it.

"When it was clear that Suzanne was not going to recover in the final days of her life on this planet, before she crossed over, she said to me, 'I don't want you to mope around after I'm gone,'" he recalled.

The "Razzle Dazzle" star mentioned that he hadn't heard the expression "mope around" before that conversation. However, when he asked Somers if she wouldn't want him feeling sorry for himself, she urged him to enjoy his life.

Hamel said his late wife told him, "I want you to live your life. You have a great life. You have a great family. You have great friends. I want you to live your life."

The 88-year-old held on to those words to find the strength to move on after 18 months of mourning.

As for his choice of new leading lady, Hamel told PEOPLE Magazine that Somers would have particularly liked Cassidy because they got along. Both women starred alongside each other in the 1985 miniseries "Hollywood Wives."

"Suzanne really liked her a lot, and Suzanne also was a great professional. So the two of them got along great," he confessed.

He admitted to the publication that he and Cassidy first met in the '70s when she was a guest on his talk show, "The Alan Hamel Show." They would, however, reconnect a decade later on the set of the miniseries.

"She and Suzanne spent quite a bit of time together during the production of that miniseries, and I was there a lot, almost every day, and so we reconnected, and that was it, period," Hamel declared.

The entertainer, who said he liked that both women didn't participate in "Hollywood BS," added:

"She'd [Somers] be very happy that I'm happy. Absolutely, yeah. She wanted that. Our relationship was based on each of us making the other one happy."

Despite knowing the "Buffalo Bill" actress for decades, it took the help of Hamel's son, Stephen Hamel, to spark a connection.

Apparently, after running into Cassidy at a film screening, Stephen struck up a conversation, during which he brought up his dad, telling the actress that he believes they would get along.

“She said, 'Who's your dad?’ Stephen did not know that I had a relationship with her going back [to] the ‘70s. And when he mentioned his dad is Alan Hamel, she said, 'I know Alan. Of course, I'd love to see Alan," the TV host recalled of his son's interaction.

Cassidy and Hamel soon hit it off and have been dating for months now. "We have a lot in common, and we've had a good time dating, and that's kind of where we are," he shared.

Hamel and Cassidy's romance became public knowledge earlier this week after they stepped out together.

As The Blast reported, the pair was photographed looking cozy while walking the oceanside at the Malibu Beach Inn on Carbon Beach.

Hamel and Cassidy twinned in matching white caps purchased from the hotel gift shop. They were later seen grabbing a lobster lunch at Broad Beach Oyster Company before leaving together in a black SUV.

For their debut, the "Anniversary Game" host donned a patterned orange shirt paired with black pants. The 79-year-old, on the other hand, rocked a gray blazer over an off-white top with plaid pants.

Hamel's relationship debut comes as Somers' second death anniversary approaches in months. The "Step By Step" actress died on October 15, 2023, a day before her 77th birthday.

For her first death anniversary, Hamel took a trip down memory lane, recalling how they didn't get along at the start of their 46-year marriage.

"For the first few years of our love affair, we fought like mad dogs," he candidly revealed. However, Hamel and Somers managed to always reconnect like nothing had happened.

Fondly remembering their deep bond, Hamel said, "We always went to sleep every night holding hands, and in the morning, I would always awaken a few minutes before Suzanne, and I would just lie there, staring at her beautiful face."