Alan Hamel surprised longtime fans when he confirmed that he is dating actress Joanna Cassidy, a woman he has known for roughly 45 years and who once worked alongside his late wife, Suzanne Somers. Hamel, 88, and Cassidy, 79, were recently photographed walking arm in arm in Malibu after having lunch at Broad Street Oyster Company. Their matching Malibu Beach Inn baseball caps and relaxed smiles quickly drew attention online. Hamel later confirmed the romance, explaining that he first met Cassidy when she appeared on The Alan Hamel Show during the 1970s. They liked and respected each other then, but both were married and their connection was never romantic. Cassidy later crossed paths with Somers while the two actresses worked together on the 1985 miniseries Hollywood Wives. Decades later, circumstances brought Hamel and Cassidy together again.

The unexpected match actually began with Hamel’s son Stephen, who ran into Cassidy at a screening and thought she might be perfect for his father, without realizing they already knew each other. Cassidy said their first date felt unusually comfortable and reportedly stretched across three days. Hamel has praised her sense of humor, devotion to family, charity work, and down-to-earth personality, while Cassidy said their bond felt natural almost immediately. Online reactions have ranged from enthusiastic congratulations to criticism from people who believe Hamel moved forward too soon after losing Somers. But Hamel says there is one deeply personal reason he feels comfortable opening his heart again — something Suzanne told him before she died.
Somers, who died on October 15, 2023, after breast cancer spread to her brain, had reportedly encouraged Hamel not to spend the rest of his life grieving alone. He has recalled her telling him to continue living and trust that they would someday be together again. Their marriage lasted 46 years, following nearly a decade together before their 1977 wedding, and Hamel has repeatedly described their relationship as extraordinary.

headlines centered on an attorney, court dispute, mortgage, insurance claim, investment conflict, or estate battle, his new chapter is about companionship after a profound personal loss. Hamel has said he remains deeply grateful for the family, businesses, and life he built with Somers, while also acknowledging that he does not know exactly where his relationship with Cassidy will lead. For him, simply having someone he enjoys spending time with at this stage of life already feels meaningful.

Hamel’s decision to date again does not appear to have diminished the place Somers holds in his life. One year after her death, he honored her memory by unveiling her headstone at Desert Memorial Park in California, and he has continued speaking publicly about the impact of their decades together. Somers’ representatives also revealed that Hamel wrote her an emotional letter shortly before her death, trying to describe a love he felt ordinary words could not adequately capture. That history may explain why some fans initially found his new romance surprising, but Hamel sees no contradiction between remembering the woman he loved for more than half a century and appreciating the companionship he has found with Cassidy. Cassidy, meanwhile, had been comfortable living independently for years before their relationship began. Their story is less about replacing the past than discovering that affection, laughter, and connection can still arrive unexpectedly — even after a life-changing loss.