Suzanne Somers and Megyn Kelly chuckled about marital rape on Wednesday morning.
Somers and her husband, Alan Hamel, appeared on morning show “Megyn Kelly Today” to discuss Somers’ new book, Two’s Company. Kelly called the book a “virtual how-to guide for how to stay in love and in lust.”
The interview was already a bit awkward, as Somers and Hamel discussed having sex on bubble wrap. Unfortunately, it got worse. After Somers bragged that the couple has sex every day, she said, “Sometimes I’m not awake for it, though.”
The live audience laughed. Kelly pointed to Hamel and said, “Alan’s like, ‘Those are some of the best times!’”
Somers responded with a short anecdote about a friend whose son is a trial lawyer in Canada and working on a marital rape case. According to Somers, her friend told her: “In Canada it’s illegal to have sex with your wife if she’s not awake.” Then she nudged Hamel and said he “would be in jail” if that were the case in the U.S. Marital rape is illegal in all 50 states.
Somers apologized for her comments in a statement to People on Friday, telling the magazine that she’s “deeply sorry” and “carried the joke too far.”
“Nonconsensual sex is a serious and far too common issue. I am fortunate to be in a deeply loving relationship with my husband, one built on mutual respect and trust,” Somers said. “If the last few months have taught us anything, it’s that way too many women and men have seen the dark side of sex and I need to be more sensitive to this. I am sorry.”
This article has been updated to include Somers’ apology.