Alan Hamel, the widower of late actress Suzanne Somers, has found love again with Joanna Cassidy, a former co-star of Somers. Hamel, 89, confirmed the news exclusively to PEOPLE, saying that he's been dating Cassidy, 79, for "several months."

Hamel's new romance comes almost two years after Somers' passing in October 2023. According to Hamel, Somers had urged him not to "mope around" after her death, and he believes she would approve of his new relationship.

Somers' Final Wish

In her final days, Somers told Hamel, "I don't want you to mope around after I'm gone." Hamel recalled, "I said, 'So you mean I shouldn't sit at home and feel sorry for myself?' She said, '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.'" Hamel believes that Somers would be happy to see him happy again.

The New Romance

Hamel and Cassidy's romance began after his son, Stephen, reconnected them at a film screening. Cassidy, who starred alongside Somers in the 1985 miniseries "Hollywood Wives," had previously worked with Hamel in the 1970s. Hamel said, "She and Suzanne spent quite a bit of time together during the production of that miniseries, and I was there almost every day, and so we reconnected and that was it, period."

Recent images show Hamel and Cassidy arm-in-arm, enjoying a lunch date in Malibu, California. Hamel described their relationship as "wonderful," saying, "I don't know where the relationship is going, but I just know that at this very moment, it's wonderful, and the reality is that as the foundational material for a relationship, it should go on for a long time being wonderful."

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