Joyce DeWitt's appearance on Suzanne Somers' show marked the first time the two were face-to-face since Somers left the show after five seasons (via Best Life). Prior to the show's sixth season, Somers, who was proud of her "Three's Company" character, approached the producers asking for the same salary as her co-star, John Ritter.
"So, we went in to renegotiate for year six because we had to, my contract was up," Somers recalled in 2020. "And they fired me. They fired me for asking to be paid commensurate with the men. ... They need you as the example so no other woman in television will get uppity and think that they could ask for parity with men." Although Somers was simply asking for fair pay for her work, she was painted by many as the villain, and pushed aside by the crew and her cast mates.
"They painted me as she's trying to ruin the show," Somers said. "So, I never talked to anybody on that show ever again. Ever again." At least, until she and DeWitt finally reunited, decades later, and were able to mend fences.
"We had very different approaches to our careers," DeWitt explained of the disconnect between her and Somers. "We had very different needs. I did not have a child that I was supporting on my own. I didn't have a business head, so I didn't understand someone who did."
